Trouble on Mount Hope
by Kristin-Arrow-Lundy
Summary: Bruised and confused, a class of Hope's Peak's finest have found themselves stranded on the picturesque peak of Mount Hope. Surrounded by an unbreakable dome and hounded by the fiendish Monokuma, how will they survive? Who will be the first to crack? And who will be the first to fall? (SYOC CLOSED 16/16) R&R
1. Chapter 1- Arrival on Mount Hope

_Hey guys!_

 _I have finally decided to join in on the band wagon and write an SYOC story for the wonderful Danganronpa series :)_

 _My interest was recent revived after watching the wonderful TheRPGMinx's play through on YouTube, I highly recommend it._

 _But anyway let's drive right into this insanity and see what becomes of our wonderful characters :3_

 _Anyway I only own my OC Ash and any others that might show up through out :)_

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **Arrival at Mount hope**

* * *

Everything hurt.

My head, arms, legs. Everything. Just like a punching bag that had been abused for too long, I sat motionless. I was just a confused pile of aching flesh propped up against what felt like a tree, trying to get my bearings whilst my eyes remained closed, fear holding my lids shut. With a sense of hesitation I hadn't felt in ages, I gently opened my eyes to a sight that took the air from my lungs, I was propped against an old oak that looked out over a small town which sat nestled between a small lake and the beginning of a mountain peak. The view was glorious but soon I was breathless but not with awe. My mind flipped in synch with my stomach as I saw the translucent white of what seemed to be a huge dome that surrounded the town and the area around it. It was held up by huge steel pylons that seemed so out of place in the otherwise scenic area, making the already foreboding scene seem even more dangerous.

With heavy, panicked breaths I rose to my feet but as I did a wave of nausia and dizziness flooded my mind, bringing with it a crushing headache. Using the tree to steady myself I pressed a palm to my head, trying to stop the pain but with no success when a noise pierced through the relative peace of the tranquil forrest I stood in.

Bing bong, ding dong.

Looking around in utter confusion I came across what looked to be a small monitor embedded I into the back of a tree nearby, which also housed an obvious camera. My eyebrows furrowed in thought when the monitor lit up, with what looked like a... Teddy bear? My eyes widened in surprise at the strange black and white creature when it began to... Speak?

"Ahem... Attention students of Hope's Peak Academy! Please gather within the town centre for the entrance ceremony!"

My brow furrowed again in further confusion at the bear's words. I took a quick look around myself, confirming that I was definitely not in Hope's Peak Academy... _So where the hell am I?... And where is everyone else?..._ Before I could move from my spot the monitor flashed on once again to the same scene.

"Oh and by the way for any of you who might have difficulty finding the town centre please refer to your school handbook which should be in your pocket!"

Following my gut I did as the teddy said, removing a strange electrical devise from my pocket, I gently pushed the on button which lit the dark screen up with the school crest and my name. Ashida Saiki.

"On your handbook is all of your personal details, as well as a detailed map of the town and it's surrounding's as well as some other functions, but I won't tell you about them now! Where would be the fun in that?! Oh and by the way, **Welcome to Mount Hope**! Upupupupupupupupupu!"

And as though it had never been there the bear disappeared and everything was quiet once again. I looked to the device... _My school handbook?... Mount Hope?..._ I decided to investigate it quickly, gently touching the screen which brought up a menu with various options. Details, map, profiles, regulations etc. Browsing quickly I pressed on details when a page came up with a familiar face at the top right. It was me!

Name: Ashida "Ash" Saiki

Talent: Archery

Gender: Female

Sexuality: *********

D.O.B: 23rd November

Height: 5ft 7in

Eyes: Green

Hair: Auburn, short

And so on and so forth, it listed practically everything about me. Including... I shook my head violently, forcing the memories from my head before swapping the app to that of the map. The map showed a detailed bird's eye view of the entire town showing a yellow square for the town centre and a red triangle for my position. Scattered around it were various blue triangles, _must_ _be the other students._ I studied it briefly to learn the various locations, the closest of which was listed as 'Monomi's meadow'?

I huffed at the strange name but continued onwards, determined to discover the secrets of this town, find out why we were here and finally meet the other students... My classmates.

* * *

 _A/N- Well guys that is chapter one done and dusted, just a short introductory piece with some basic setting information :)_

 _So here's the situation for this to work I need 8 guys and 7 girls! To make 16 awesome characters to fight it out on Mount Hope :)_

 _So to be in with a chance of your character appearing in the story all I need you to do is fill in the following info sheet :) try and make it as detailed as possible, the more details the better for the story :)_

Name: (first name, "nickname {optional}", surname)

Talent:

Gender: male, female, non-binary, transgender ect.

Sexuality: hetero, homo, asexual ect. (This is optional if you don't want your character paired with anyone)

D.O.B:

Height: please give in feet and inches, not just tall or short

Eyes: try to keep within reason

Hair:

Clothing:

Personality: please go into depth with this, not just a list of adjectives

Back story: try to give as many details a possible and try to link to personality

Likes:

Dislikes:

Preferred trial role: we can't all be super detectives so are you helpful, a hindrance? Or are you just too confused to function?

Mastermind?: this is for anyone who might be interested in having their character be one of Junko's underlings/admirers

Death suggestion: if your character was to die, how would you like them too? Drowning, pushed, self defence ect. (Not necessarily going to be used but you never know)

Execution suggest: if your character was to be guilty how would you suggest they are executed? You can be as crazy or as mundane as you like

Anything else?: anything to add? have I missed something? Or maybe you just have a suggestion for the story? Well I would love to hear it :)

 _Well that's it for now! I can't wait to meet your characters!_

 **For an updated list of the cast look to the Author's Chapter!**


	2. Author's chapter

**Author's Chapter  
**

 **Submitters and OCs  
**

* * *

 _A/N- Well ladies and gents that is our cast chosen! Now just the task of killing off the unlucky and deciding who survives... If any XD_

 _Well the time has come to grab a hold onto your hope and prepare for despair! This is gonna be a bumpy ride! Hopefully I don't go overboard XD_

 _A huge shout out to the OCs who didn't make it in and their wonderful creators, there were some fantastic characters in that bunch and I would have loved to increase the size of my class to allow them in but I want to stay as close to the spirit of the original games as possible so unfortunately I had to disappoint some of you but I want to still extend the invitation for you guys to help me come up with ideas and suggest ways to improve the story, you still have the chance to have full input on the events and I can't wait to work with you, I hope you will stick around :)_

 _Well as always if you have any suggestions or questions about anything in regards to the story (or maybe even something outside it, I don't mind :)) then don't hesitate to pm me! I would love to hear what you have to say :)_

 **GIRLS**

1- Ashida "Ash" Saiki- SHSL Archer (Kristin-Arrow-Lundy)

2- Azusa "Azu" Mikami- SHSL Mills and Boon Author (theRoseShadow21)

3- Yuko Himaru- SHSL Manga Artist (Deadrabbit00)

4- Fuyu Hisikawa- SHSL Mathematician (WendyDokuro)

5- Fiona Kimsay- SHSL Fashion Designer (Shadowclanwarrior)

6- Mitsuru Banba- SGSL Sukeban (dashunterman)

7- Shirane "Ane" Ogihara- SHSL Forensics Specialist (SatokoHojo)

8- Reiko Tosa- SHSL Opportunist (TheLaughingStone)

 **BOYS**

1- Rintarou Quarta- SHSL Ninja (Lloyd's fics)

2- Takuya Ito- SHSL Spirit Medium (Katastic Writer)

3- Takeo Yamazaki- SHSL Fisherman (SevillaBoy)

4- Sarau Niseshojo- SHSL Drag Queen (Faux Sekai)

5- Akeno Kayano- SHSL Salesman (Awenia)

6- Vector Litgen- SHSL Strategic Technician (Fire Dusk)

7- Tohru Yasumori- SHSL Lucky Student (SongBird-Lullaby)

8- Minato Nobunaga- SHSL Gamer (PalaDude234)

* * *

 _/Warning SPOILERS for DR2 ahead!/_

* * *

 _Just an extra note for anyone who might take offence to the fact of the other SHSL Gamer in this fanfic, I'm basing this on the knowledge that Chiaki Nanami was an AI and not a physical being so SHSL Gamer is fair game, thanks guys :)_

 _Anyway I can't wait to get start, good luck to everyone! And see you on the other side!_


	3. Chapter 2- Introductions Part 1

_Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait, been bogged down with work and then I had a lot of story planning to do but anyway_ _ladies and gents, here is chapter two when we get to meet a few of the lovely OCs that were submitted! As usual with these things this is purely a chapter on getting to know our contestants, so if it seems kinda boring that's the reason, and just to give you fair warning there will probably be a few of these chapters due to all the interesting people we shall meet._

 _Also it means I won't be spending three or four weeks on one chapter and you might actually get steady updates from me, depending on what life and work allow of course XD_

 _However the next chapter after all the intros, will be everyone learning a little bit more about their shared situation and we might also meet our mascots..._

 _Well everyone, hold tight as this is gonna be one bumpy ride!_

 _As always I only own my OC and this particular setting whereas all the other OCs/characters belong to their respective owners! The concept isn't mine however so please support the games and anime!_

 _Also give the OCs' owners some love too!_

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Introductions

* * *

The path I followed was narrow and winding, made by the feet of those who came before, leaving a perfect desire line through the rolling earth of the meadow. Monomi's Meadow at that, a strange name for such a beautiful piece of land. I was surrounded by legions of flowers that stood statically amongst the silent grasses as no wind blew through here, courtesy of the dome above. The silence was eerie in a location that you would assume would be filled with the sounds of nature, no matter how subtle. Not a bird chirped nor did any insect or bug make a sound. Thankfully there were no biting flies but it was still too strange for comfort.

A subtle bead of sweat made its way down my brow against the constant heat, a heat that felt closer to a green house than anything.

Letting out a struggling breath, I slipped off the off-white elbow support on my left arm, stuffing it into the deep pocket of my green combat trousers before shrugging off my thick grey hooded jacket with a breath of relief. Wrapping it around my waist so that I stood in my white polo shirt, I reached for my green beanie but thought against it, leaving it on but pulling it backwards slightly to reveal my auburn fringe. Adjusting it to keep my target pin above my left eye I dusted myself off, continuing forth through the grass and back into the sparse forest.

The canopy allowed for some protection from the heat of the dome but not much, forcing me to continually brush at my forehead as my sweat continued to bead under the brim of my beanie. Feeling the confusion of dehydration I looked to my map to see where I was and how far I was from the town; I stood in what was listed as the "Ogami Undergrowth" which, if the device before me was to be believed, should be fifteen to twenty minutes outside of the town outskirts. Looking up from the screen I looked around to find West, lining myself with the compass on the app when I noticed the presence of a blue triangle directly infront my red marker. I snapped my eyes forward, trying to see the other person but saw nothing. Frowning at my lack of observation I began walking again, focused on tracking down the signal on the map.

Traversing carefully though the thick and troublesome shrubs and foliage, I watched as the two shapes got closer before looking up to see a figure looking about themselves, obviously trying to get their bearings. Stashing my handbook back in my pocket and approaching cautiously, I stepped quietly trying not to give myself away, almost as though I was try to hide myself... _But... Why the hell am I hiding? It's not like we are gonna hurt eachother... Are we?..._ I shook the thought from my head and observed the slight individual before realising that they were in fact female.

She was standing in the open looking at her handbook, and although I couldn't be sure she looked to be roughly my height, if a little shorter. She had very long hair that almost reached her elbows that shone in the dim light of the wood, the dark brown, almost black colour blending with the trees around her, the silvery ribbon in her hair was the only thing that stood out in stark contrast. She wore a long sleeved shirt that was dark blue in colour that seemed a little too long on her, the sleeves reaching out from under the short black leather jacket she wore. On the shirt there seemed to be a silver grey pattern printed on it but I couldn't make it out from my position but there seemed to be a crescent moon involved. She also wore a pair of grey bootleg cut jeans but I couldn't see anything else from my distant position.

Taking a deep breath I decided to be brave and forced my way through the bushes, making the girl jump at the sound, releasing a startled cry as she spun towards my direction, her bright hazel, almond shaped eyes wide with fright.

I held up my hands in surrender, trying to be as open and far from threatening as possible. "Hi there, I'm so sorry I startled you, I just haven't seen anyone else so far so I thought I'd introduce myself."

I stepped forward quietly, the other girl eyeing my movements sceptically. I smiled gently and offered my hand in friendship, the girl looking between it and my face, her stoney expression softening slightly. "Hi, I'm Ashida Saiki, but my friends call me Ash, I'm the Ultimate Archer, or at least that's what my invite said."

As I spoke my introduction I watched as some of the tension drifted from the brunette's shoulders, but instead of taking my hand she wrapped her free arm around herself. Clutching her arm, she smiled a practised grin, a somewhat impressed gleam in her eye.

She chuckled gently, almost as if by reflex. "Oh it's okay, I just didn't see you is all and hi I'm Azusa Mikami but you can call me Azu if you want... Sorry that's probably a little presumptuous if me, but anyway I was invited to Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Mills and Boon Author which is nothing compared to Ultimate Archer, it's like comparing fanfiction to Brontë but it got me in so..."

Her grin became somewhat sour as she talked of her talent, obviously seeing it as mediocre in comparison to me, _If only you knew Azu..._

I reached over to the girl and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, feeling her flinch slightly under my touch. "I'm sure it's nothing like that Azu, but anyway it's an absolute pleasure to meet you."

I gave her a genuine smile which seemed to lift her spirits when a loud ding broke the comfortable silence. Pulling the offending object from my pocket I saw that my handbook had a notification, pulling up the menu I saw that my "Profiles" app had been updated. Tapping the highlighted icon I saw that under my profile, Azu's had appeared below, taking up one of the sixteen spaces with my own. Skimming my eyes briefly over the basic profile in curiosity I found that it didn't reveal much about my companion.

 **Name: Azusa "Azu" Mikami**

 **SHSL: Mills and Boon Writer**

 **Gender: Female**

 **D.O.B: 19th April**

 **Height: 5ft 6in**

 **Eyes: Hazel**

 **Hair: Dark brown, Long**

Pulling my eyes up from the handbook I saw Azu doing the same, quickly scanning my own profile.

"Interesting system huh?"

She nodded, an intrigued look on her face. "Indeed, how strange that it only updated now..."

I hummed in agreement before looking up at a loud whiring sound, to see a not so subtle video camera adjusting itself to our position.

"Well I think we have found our culprit."

The brunette writer followed my gaze before frowning in acknowledgement. "Seems someone is watching us... Maybe it's to protect the forest?"

My brow furrowed at the suggestion, something in my gut telling me there was something far more sinister to the rectangular piece of plastic. "Maybe... It just seems too coincidental..."

I pulled my eyes from the camera and looked back to Azu. "Anyway we should get going, that stupid bear thing said we should meet in the town centre."

She smiled politely, following my lead as we wandered through the trees, following our maps in hopes of finally reaching the town. We walked in a comfortable silence, neither of us speaking a word as we travelled side by side. I quickly grew bored of the view of the never-ending trees, lack of water lowering my patience slowly but surely. Finally, I decided to glance to my companion who was humming a nonexistant tune to herself; with her standing closer to me I could finally see the intricate design on her shirt which stood out against the dark blue. It looked like the image of a forest, but the trees were made of what looked to be stars. In the middle of this starry setting there were three children in traditional clothing running through the forest, it seemed as through they were laughing as they did, it was like something out of an anime and above them to the right of the image there sat a crescent moon.

It was quite beautiful and piqued my interest. Deciding to break our silence, I cleared my throat to get Azusa's attention but unfortunately she jumped once again at my voice; almost as though she had forgotten I was there.

I scratched the back of my neck in regret, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you again."

She shook her head, as small smile on her lips as she laughed her fright off. "It's fine, I was just in my own world."

I chuckled in response. "Yeah, still I didn't mean to make you jump, but anyway I was hoping to ask where the image on your shirt came from, is it an anime?"

She tilted her head down slightly, shyly hiding her face and wrapping her arms around herself. "Um... Actually... I drew it."

My eyes widened in surprise, a wide impressed grin splitting my face in half. "Really?! It's so beautiful! So you are a writer and an artist?! That's amazing!"

The girl looked to me in surprise, a small genuine smile finally breaking out on her face. Opening my mouth to ask her more about it, I was interrupted by the sounds of loud voices bickering in front of us.

Looking forward I saw two figures walking beside eachother... Well actually one was powering ahead as the other followed, offering them various objects. I snickered at the sight as Azu and myself got within view of the two, finally seeing that the figures were that of a slightly antagonised girl and a very persistent boy. The girl was about five foot eight, standing just a little taller than me, with red medium length hair and grey eyes. She wore a white baseball cap with a white shirt, that seemed to have a black aniki logo on it, and a purple hoodie with a pair of jeans and purple and white sneakers. Currently she was wearing a forced smile as she tried to get her companion away from her, obviously highly irritated but still trying to be friendly. The guy, who continued to hound her, was also slightly taller than me, standing above the redhead by maybe an inch. He had short brown hair that was carefully styled, however it looked like it could rebel at any moment, and also had big blue eyes, that if I was honest looked really unnatural. He wore a carefully tailored suit with a blue tie that went with his eyes and also wore an expensive looking watch that he was now offering to the girl.

"-Bro I already told you, I don't want your bling! Its against my code ya know?-"

"-But Mr Matsuhima! Just look at the craftsmanship of the face and the real gold links! I swear I can give it to you for a good price AND with a year's guarantee!-"

Myself and Azu approached slowly catching the end of their conversation before I cleared my throat, getting the two to look in my direction. The girl gave a grin that suggested utter relief whilst the boy's eyes lit up at our presence.

I smiled at them both. "Hi guys, what's going on? Is everything alright here?"

The girl scowled slightly, quickly replacing her frown with a smile, before opening her mouth to speak when the young man took a confident step forward, blocking my view of his companion and sticking his hand out for me to shake. "Everything is wonderful! And it's a pleasure to meet you miss-?"

I rose an eyebrow at his manner but shook his hand anyway, offering a confused smile. "Ashida Saiki, but you can call me Ash, Ultimate Archer and yourself?"

He grinned widely. "A good firm grip! It's a pleasure Miss Saiki! I am Akeno Kayano, Ultimate Salesman! And I believe that I can get you an incredible deal today, just let me finish with Mr Matsuhima here and then I can help you find some unmissable bargains!"

My smile faltered, my brow furrowing in confusion. Leaning so that I could see the redheaded girl, I rose an eyebrow in question. "Mister?"

Her eyes widened in panic slightly before Akeno stepped in again. "While it's true that Mr Matsuhima is actually female they prefer to be referred to as male due to their talent as the Ultimate Bro."

The girl jumped in, punching Akeno's shoulder playfully, making the salesman step aside rubbing the assaulted area. "Yeah! What he said! Anyway I'm Shinji Matsuhima! Nice to meet you hot stuff!"

Taken a back by "Shinji's" comment, I couldn't help but snort loudly, laughing at their antics. "Nice to meet you too but sorry hun you're not my type, and anyway isn't Shinji a guy's name?"

An accomplished glint lit up her eyes at my rejection, obviously glad that I didn't flirt back, but at my question her brow furrowed slightly in what looked to be concentration. "Well, my mom and dad always wanted a boy, ya know? So they named me Shinji and treated me like a son anyway!"

I hummed in response, unconvinced but decided to play along, offering the strange girl a fist for a fist bumb which she gladly returned. But Akeno suddenly stepped around me, engaging Azu in introductions, making the poor girl squeak in fright. I spun towards the pair as they exchanged brief words, Akeno's forward personality obviously making Azu extremely uncomfortable as her muscles tensed and her smile became more forced.

"- Well Miss?-" Akeno leant forward, causing Azu to take a cautious step back, not realising how uncomfortable the girl was.

"Mikami, A-"

Akeno's eyes lit up in excitement at the girl's name, getting even closer, as though he was meeting a huge celebrity. "Mikami?! As in Suki Mikami?! Oh wow what a pleasure to meet you! So what talent were you brought in for? Dance, music?"

Azu shook her head, her smile faltering slightly as she stepped back again. "Um no, you don't understand I'm not-"

Unwilling to let my new friend fall deeper into discomfort, I stepped between the two so that Azu had my presence nearby, she demeanor relaxing as she was slightly sheltered by my body from the boy.

"Well... Umm... Anyway I'm not Suki, I'm Azusa Mikami, Suki is my sister and I am the Ultimate Mills and Boon Writer."

The young man frowned for half a second before his permanent smile returned, his toothy grin covering up his obvious disappointment. "Ah I see, well it is still a pleasure Miss Mikami, my mother was a romance novel fan, perhaps she read some of your stories."

The boy finally looked to me as though he hadn't seen me, his eyes confused, before realisation lit his expression and he took a step back. "Oh and Miss Mikami I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, it wasn't my intention."

The girl continued to smile, her practised laugh returning as she waved off his comment; And just as everything had resolved itself, all our handbooks went off. The profiles having been updated.

 **Name: Akeno Kayano**

 **SHSL: Salesman**

 **Gender: Male**

 **D.O.B: 17th April**

 **Height: 5ft 9in**

 **Eyes: Grey  
**

 **Hair: Brown, Short**

 **...**

 **Name: Reiko Tosa  
**

 **SHSL: Opportunist  
**

 **Gender: Female**

 **D.O.B: 8th January**

 **Height: 5ft 8in**

 **Eyes: Grey**

 **Hair: Red, Medium**

I gave a hum at the new information before looking to the small group in interest. _Seems we all have something to hide_... Swapping back to my map I saw three blue markers heading towards the town from the north, obviously another group travelling together. Looking up to the strange duo, I saw that Akeno had returned to harassing "Reiko" trying to push her to buy his product, which just so happened to be a strangely shaped rock. Meeting Azu's eyes I gestured forward and away from the other students, the perfect time to escape.

She nodded in understanding as I turned back to the duo, a smile on my lips as I interrupted the interaction between them. "Well it was great to meet you two and perhaps we will do business some other time Mr Kayano but myself and Azu are going to head on towards the town, we will see you there!"

Reiko looked to me in despair as Akeno once again stood in as their unofficial spokesperson. "That sounds fine Miss Saiki! And I will hold you to your word!"

The young man held out his hand, which I gladly shook before turning tail and leaving the Ultimate Opportunist to her fate with the Ultimate Salesman.

As we wondered on I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for Reiko but simultaneously I couldn't help but wonder why she kept her true identity a secret and also why Akeno obviously wore contacts... _I'll have to ask them sometime..._ My mind left behind those wonderings quickly, focusing on my steps and my breaths. But also the burning thirst that I could feel building in the back of throat, my eyes becoming sore as a result. I wiped my forehead down, rubbing away my sweat before I relented and took my beanie from my head.

"Are you okay?"

Jumping like my companion before me, I looked to Azusa, her face darkened slightly with concern.

Like Azu, I waved it off, chuckling to myself. "I'll be fine, just my combats aren't helping with this heat and my boots are even worse."

The author pursed her lips in a sceptical look but chose to leave me be, shrugging her own jackect from her shoulders and draping it over her arm. We slipped back into our companionable silence, bar Azusa's humming, just enjoying the relative protection of the canopy above us. Although the slightly browning leaves revealed even the trees' struggle against the heat, which in a way was comforting, knowing that I wasn't imagining the heat, but it was also worrying to know the heat was that great that the tree leaves were being discoloured. I shook out my hair slightly, releasing the heat when my ears picked up the sound of running water nearby. Striding forward infront of Azu, I turned the corner to find a small bridge over a fast flowing stream.

My heart leaped in excitement, as I climbed down the bank to look to the water which ran quickly over a section of rocks, running extremely clear. A smile split my face at the safe water source, quickly dipping my fingers into the water, tasting it to confirm the lack of salt content before plunging my hands in to scoop the water up; Drinking greedly I felt my thirst quench, the burning ceasing when a shout interrupted me.

"Ash?! What are you doing?"

I looked up to Azu and grinned. "I found a fresh water source, are you thirsty?"

The brunette frowned. "Isn't that dangerous? How do you know it's safe?!"

As I turned fully to answer another voice cut me off. "It's fast flowing and completely clear, so she is unlikely to experience any side effects as the amounts of water born pathogens is likely to be relatively small."

I looked up towards the voice to see three figures looking down at me from the bridge. _They must be the signals from earlier_... The group all seemed to be females, or at least from what I could see, quietly looking down at me in interest. I whiped the water from my chin and dipped my beanie into the cool water, using it to cool my neck before scrambling up the bank again, whiping the dirt from my hands onto my trousers before turning to the group with a cautious smile.

The trio approached slowly, just as cautious towards eachother as they were of Azusa and myself.

Of the three, there was one with relatively long blue curly hair that was dwarfed by the other two tall figures. They couldn't be more then five foot four and had pale blue almost purple eyes with a thin scar that lined the left side of their face. They wore a baggy white sweater with a purple shirt underneath, with the cuffs and collar visible. They also wore a pair of black cargo shorts and white running shoes with green laces, they also had a pair of cat ear headphones around their neck. When I looked at them again they seemed like they were actually male but I really couldn't tell... _I'll have to ask them..._

Beside them stood the tallest person I had met so far, she had to be six foot at least without shoes and had a very serious, almost intimidating, aura about her. Her eyes were dark blue and framed by thin black glasses and almost seemed to stare straight through me. Her hair was held in a high, tidy ponytail and was a bright pink but from the slightly showing roots she obviously had naturally black hair. The tall young woman wore a modern sailor style uniform in a dark blue with a white neck tie, a knee length black skirt with black high heels and a long, tattered overcoat. On its breast pocket was an emblem of a black shield with two sword crossed behind it, stitched in gold over the symbol were the kanji's for 'Black' and 'Guard' and from her neck hung a gold chain with a gold locket pendent hanging from it. Like a block of ice had hit my stomach I realised that the woman in front of me was a member of the notorious "Black Guard" gang and if she was who I thought she was, it could be quite a dangerous situation indeed.

Finally I looked to the girl who had been the one to speak only to realise that she reminded me of a mad scientist. She was roughly five foot nine in height and her hair was a fluffy, black bob held down with a bright blue headband with a ribbon on one side. Her eyes were a bright crystal blue, framed by her navy cats eye glasses and around her neck hung a white surgical mask with a red x painted on it that sat over her blue T-shirt which had a skull emblem on it. Around her shoulders she wore a long white lab coat which reached down to the top of her brown combat boots, with her washed-out grey skinny jeans tucked into the large shoes. Also from one pocket of her coat hung out a pair of bright blue surgeon's gloves that shone in the patches of sunlight in the forest.

Taking a cautious step forward offering a smile yo the group in friendship when the girl in the lap coat grabbed my hand, inspecting my left arm in interest. "Hmm, you have good muscle definition but with obvious skin damage to the inside of the forearm, so you are a sportswoman but it has resulted in damage to your arm on multiple occasions. The deep callouses in your palm also suggest repeated use over time. Well your sporting nature explains your obvious disregard for your own safety when you drunk the water, but your rudimentary knowledge is noteworthy. If I was to guess I would say you take part in the sport of archery and have gained your simple knowledge due to having a relatively hard upbringing, probably from being in a poor family. That would also explain the sun damage of your skin from working outside for long periods of time."

My smile disappeared and my eyes widened at her words, tearing my arm away in response as she smiled condescendingly. "Seems I was correct, well I am Shirane Ogihara and I guess you can call me Ane, I'm the Ultimate Forensics Specialist. You wouldn't be able to comprehend how much I just learned from you but I must say you are quite interesting even if you are a " jock"."

I frowned at her words but decided to ignore their meaning, looking back to the other two and offering my hand in a peaceful gesture. "Right well... I'm Ashida Saiki, but you guys can call me Ash... Ahem, and as your, uh, companion said I am in fact the Ultimate Archer."

The tallest of the group tooked me with a look of cold indiffenerence, her cold stare shifting to my hand in warning, prompting me to drop it. "I'm Mitsuru Banba, leader of the Black Guard and the Ultimate Sukeban."

The harsh nature of her words felt like a biting comment was thrown at me, making me wince before a kinder voice broke the heavy atmosphere and the last of the trio stepped forward offering a hand to me.

"Just ignore those two, they may come across as cold and intimidating but they are nice when you get to know them I'm sure."

I took the blue haired individuals hand, shaking it lightly as they smiled though it faltered slightly due to my dusty hand. "I'm Tohru Yasumori by the way, the Ultimate Lucky Student."

 _So that answered my earlier question..._ I smiled back. "It's nice to meet you Tohru."

His smile got slightly wider as his purple- blue eyes shined slightly in happiness. My spirits grew at his genuinely happy expression when a thought came to my mind suddenly. I stepped aside, allowing Azu to wander forward cautiously as I gestured to Tohru. "Oh by the way this is Azu."

The writer took a shaking step and forced a smile, a look of sceptism in her eye. "Hi I'm Azusa Mikami, Ultimate Mills and Boon Writer."

Tohru grinned widely and took her hand lightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you! And can I just say I love the design on your shirt, it is gorgeous."

Azu's smile grew slightly, but her sceptism stayed but suddenly the now familiar ring of the handbook occurred and we all looked to our offending objects.

 **Name: Mitsuru Banba**

 **SHSL: Sukeban (Delinquent high school girl)**

 **Gender: Female**

 **D.O.B: 30th October**

 **Height: 6ft**

 **Eyes: Dark blue  
**

 **Hair: Black (naturally), Bright pink, long**

 **...**

 **Name: Shirane Ogihara**

 **SHSL: Forensics Specialist**

 **Gender: Transgender Female**

 **D.O.B: 9th April**

 **Height: 5ft 9in**

 **Eyes: Crystal Blue  
**

 **Hair: Black, short, Bob**

 **...**

 **Name: Tohru Yasumori**

 **SHSL: Lucky Student**

 **Gender: Male**

 **D.O.B: 12th July**

 **Height: 5ft 4in**

 **Eyes: Pale purple/blue  
**

 **Hair: Sapphire blue to ice blue, curly, long**

Ane gave an amused huff. "Twenty third of november? Quite the appropriate birthday for an archer."

I looked to the forensic scientist in confusion. "What do you mean?"

She smirked knowingly, obviously pleased at my ignorance. "Well that makes you a Sagittarius, who is "The Archer"."

I raised an eyebrow in interest. "Is that so?"

Her smirk widened, awakening a fire in my chest at her arrogance. "Indeed it is."

My teeth git together in annoyance when the air lit up with the sound of bells.

Ding dong, bing bong.

I snapped my head about to find the source when I noticed a monitor attached to a tree across the bridge. We all gathered around it to see the same teddy bear I had seen earlier.

"Ahem this is an announcement from the mayor's office; hello everyone! Are you all having fun meeting eachother? I'm sure you are! But may I remind you that you are all to meet in the town centre... Don't keep me waiting! Upupupupupupupupu!"

The monitor went blank, sending a chill down my spine as the foreboding feeling from earlier attached itself to my heart. I glanced at the others who all seemed calm.

"Well, at least the mayor has a sense of humour. "

I looked to Azu who was smiling forcefully, obviously trying to find the best in the situation. I hummed in thought. "Maybe Azu..."

But my gut kept performing flips, a cold sweat running down my back. _Something bad is going on here..._

* * *

 _A/N- so thats our first group through! Next we will have a few more and hopefully learn a bit more about Mount Hope!_

 _The OCs in this chapter belong to the following people! Thanks once again guys and I hope I did okay in portraying them!_

 _Azusa- theRoseShadow21_

 _Akeno- Awenia_

 _Shinji/Reiko- TheLaughingStone_

 _Shirane- SatokoHojo_

 _Mitsuru- dashunterman_

 _Tohru- SongBird-Lullaby_

 _Remember to review! And see you guys in the next one!_

 _/edit/ just a quick shout out to SevillaBoy. Thanks for spotting my typos! They should now be fixed but if anyone sees anymore don't hesitate to tell me!_


	4. Chapter 3- Introductions part 2

_Hello everyone! First off thank you so much for your reviews they gave me a great confidence boost and I am so glad that you liked how I portrayed our first group :) also thank you for your patience, I'll try to keep the updates going at least once a week if not every couple of weeks._

 _We will see :)_

 _Must admit this chapter bothers me a little, but I'll make up for my terrible writing in the next chapter._

 _As always I only own my OC and this particular setting whereas all the other OCs/characters belong to their respective owners! The concept isn't mine however so please support the games and anime!_

 _Also give the OCs' owners some love too!_

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Introductions: part 2

* * *

The chilling meaning of the teddy's words still continued to echo through my head as I trudged forward. Trailing behind the calm group of my fellow ultimates. I paid no need to my surroundings, too enraptured in my thoughts to notice anything. Even as a blue haired man calmly approached, walking in step with me with a concerned look on his face.

He cleared his throat quietly beside me, announcing his presence. "Are you okay Ash? You've been quiet for sometime now, Azu and I are worried that something has upset you."

Looking at Tohru from my peripheral vision, I continued to gaze forward. My mind still occupied. "I'll be fine Tohru, I just don't trust this situation at all."

He hummed in acknowledgement, brushing some nonexistent dirt from his sleeve. "Yeah, neither do I but there is no point in worrying about it now. Not until we have a plan of action at least."

I nodded my head numbly, forcing a smile. "Yeah I know."

Breathing in the forest air deeply, I gave a calming breath as we were lulled back into a comfortable silence. Travelling quietly with only the light chatter of the girls in front of us filling the air. In a way it was quite relaxing, allowing me to release the tension in my mind and muscles. But also letting me reclaim my relatively optimistic persona. However just as I began to regain myself, we exited the line of trees to see a row of low buildings in light grey brick, sitting quietly below our raised position. My stomach flipped at the sight but I refused to let my anxiety control me as we walked down the steep hill towards the town. From the hill we could see a lot of the lay of the land. Around the town there was a thin ring of open ground that surrounded it. But after this plain there were various different natural features.

To the north sat the beginnings of the mountain slopes, with sharp cliffs that shone off into the distance. They almost looked like the jaws of a feral predator, ready to consume us without hesitation. To the west we could see the edge of the massive lake, which seemed to fill almost a quarter of our maps with blue. To the south all we could see was the side of the huge dome, it was so thick it was almost opaque and seemed impossible to break through. But perhaps we could dig?... Finally to the east stood the thick forest that we had emerged from, standing like an unbreakable line of soldiers along the long ridge behind us.

The natural barriers surrounded the small town so perfectly that it felt almost claustrophobic, just adding to my sense of discomfort. I paused just outside of the town, watching quietly as my companions worked their way into the thin streets; No fear hindering their progress. Finally noticing my absence, Azu and Tohru looked back at me, prompting the others to do the same.

Azu gave me a concerned frown, taking a step towards me questioningly. "Ash? Are you okay?"

I frowned back, deep in thought, before returning to a neutral expression. "Yeah, it's just this whole situation is freaking me out... I think I'll go investigate the area before I head to the town centre, just to clear my head."

Tohru and Azu glanced at each other briefly, a worried look passing between them. Tohru gave a thoughtful hum. "Ummm okay, do you want one of us to come with you?"

I shook my head and gave them a weak smile. "No I should be fine, I can take care of myself."

Shirane gave a chuckle. "Your stupidity and impulses are gonna get you killed if you don't listen to the concern of your friends."

A deep scowl ran across my face, the heat of my annoyance hitting my stomach at her condescending words. But my mind flipped in confusion... _What? What has death got to do with anything?..._ "Thanks for your concern Ane. Tohru, Azu I promise I'll be fine. I'll see you at the town centre."

My friends nodded numbly whilst Ane smirked in amusement and Mitsuru watched with a detached expression. But there was a glint of interest in the gang leader's eye as I turned and walked away, moving towards the north and along the guardian trees. Unlike whilst I walked with my group, I took in my environment as I walked through the thick grasses of the small plain. The grasses, like Monomi's Meadow, were static and silent. The steady crunch of my feet was the only sound in the eerie silence, sounding more like a heartbeat then footsteps. It didn't help the sickening feeling in the pit of my gut but as my stomach continued to flip so too did my determination to find out what the hell was going on.

I stopped my march, gazing up at the gold and black peak of the mountain in awe as I rested, the heat still effecting me heavily.

"You know she was kinda right, that crazy scientist girl, it isn't safe for you to be out on your own."

Jumping at the sudden voice, I spun violently towards the trees. Fists held up aggressively. "Who the hell said that?!"

Scanning the forest in panic, my eyes darted back and forth in fear, hearing the rustling of someone in the foliage. Suddenly the movement stopped, making my heart slow in response as I focused on where the movement had once been. Just as I began to relax slightly, a figure jumped quickly out of the tree tops, landing quietly in front of me; his sudden appearance making me fall back with a scream.

The strange figure gave a muffled chuckle at my fright, offering me a hand up as though nothing had happened. Scowling at him with an unimpressed frown, I turned away from him, my cheeks red with embarrassment. Growling in annoyance I waved away his hand, pushing myself up from the floor unassisted, brushing dirt and sharp grasses from me. My back was slightly cut from the grass, making my skin itch, just adding to my annoyance as I turned back to the figure.

He was slim guy who stood at about five foot five with hazel, almost gold, eyes that were still a light with amusement. I couldn't see much of his face, so I couldn't determine his actual facial expression. It was covered partially by his long brown hair with hid the left side of his face via his fringe, but it was also hidden by the thick black scarf that resided around his neck, covering his mouth. On his torso he wore a thin grey hoodie with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, it was similar to my own but without the soft inner lining. Under that he wore a black shirt with a black body warmer under that. He also wore a plain pair of blue jeans and a pair of black trainers... _How the hell isn't he dying of heat stroke?!_

We stood quietly, sizing each other up. The tension was heavy as we continued to look at each other, neither of us wanting to speak.

The boy lifted a hand, gently pulling his scarf down to reveal a cautious smile. "Well, uh, sorry for scaring you... The timing was just too perfect."

I gave the boy an incredulous look. "Wait, so you jumped out at me cuz the timing "was too perfect"?"

The scarf wearing individual shrugged, pulling his scarf down again. "Pretty much."

The silence returned as I stared at the boy in disbelief. He looked to me with a furrowed brow, worry in his eyes as I stood stock still, just staring. The quiet seemed to last for ages, both of us standing completely still. But finally I let myself descend into uncontrollable giggles, gasping for breath as my anxiety rolled off my shoulders. The young man before me gave a breath of relief but joining in, his scarf muffling the sound as his shoulders shook with his chuckles.

I straightened up, wiping a lone tear from my eye. Offering the prankster my hand with a relaxed smile. "Thanks for that, I kind of needed it. I'm Ashida by the way, Ashida Saiki, Ultimate Archer, but you can call me Ash."

He gladly took my hand, shaking it firmly, using his free hand to pull at his scarf. "No problem! And I'm Rintarou Quarta but my friends call me Rin. I'm the Ultimate Ninja."

I chuckled, releasing his hand. "Well that explains a lot."

As usual the ring of an update through the plain, echoing off the nearby cliffs.

 **Name: Rintarou Quarta**

 **SHSL: Ninja**

 **Gender: Male**

 **D.O.B: 10th August**

 **Height: 5ft 5in**

 **Eyes: Hazel (almost gold)**

 **Hair: Brown, long**

Humming at the information, I deposited the handbook back into my pocket.

"I meant what I said by the way."

I looked back to Rin with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

He frowned. "About it being dangerous travelling alone, especially for a lovely lady such as yourself."

Frowning back at him, I waved off his concerns, turning towards the town. "Thanks for your concern but I can take care of myself."

Rin ran up beside me, keeping in step. "Maybe, but surely it's a better idea for us to stick together, you know! For safety reasons!"

I gave a sigh, shaking my head at the guy's advances. "Damn Rin, and I thought you weren't one of THOSE guys."

Rin pressed a hand to his chest in hurt, gasping for effect. "Now Miss Saiki! What kind of person do you think I am! I just was offering to help a beautiful woman such as yourself! I wasn't even thinking about... That."

Suddenly the ninja turned away, covering his face was his scarf. I looked over in concern before a look of realisation crossed my features. "Oh God, Rin get your mind out of the gutter! Sorry bud but you're not my type."

The young man looked at me with a disappointed frown, an embarrassed blush colouring his cheeks. We finally entered the town, only to see that the buildings were all relatively run down with boards covering the windows and door ways. Bright red paint shone from the boards, huge X's covering them as though someone had marked them for an unknown reason.

Touching the paint, I found it was still wet but the boards had been on the buildings for sometime. "I wonder who did this?"

"That would have been me."

I looked down the street to see a tall figure holding a brush and a paint bucket. He began walking our way, a friendly smile on his face. He was about five foot ten, with long black hair that was kept in a ponytail and bright blue eyes that shone with a welcoming light. He wore a black t- shirt with a white sword of the left side of it, with a pair of trousers that were black on one side and white on the other. He also wore a pair of red combat style boots and over one arm he held a yellow jacket.

Slightly taken aback from the somewhat flamboyant boy, I watched in interest as he walked towards us, his smile never faltering.

He set down his equipment and offered me a hand in greeting. "Hi I'm Vector Litgen, Ultimate Strategic Technician. You can call me Vechs if you want. Now as for what I am doing, I have been inspecting each of these buildings, to see if we can access them somehow, so far that answer has been no so I marked them with red X's to indicate which openings have been checked."

I shook his hand sharply and nodded at his explanation. "That's clever. Well I'm Ashida Saiki, Ultimate Archer but you can call me Ash. So how many buildings have you checked so far?"

He smiled, releasing my hand and indicating around him. "So far I have checked eight buildings in this vicinity, equating to roughly forty plus openings, also I have discovered that the vast majority of the buildings are only one story high. But as you move closer to the centre they get taller."

Rin whistled, impressed. "Damn, you've been busy. I'm Rin by the way, Rintarou Quarta, Ultimate Ninja."

The dark haired boy nodded to Rin in acknowledgement just as our handbooks went off.

 **Name: Vector Litgen**

 **SHSL: Strategic Technician**

 **Gender: Male**

 **D.O.B: 4th February**

 **Height: 5ft 10in**

 **Eyes: Bright blue**

 **Hair: Black, long**

I scanned his profile, deep in thought when I looked back to Vector. "Hey Vector, what does "Strategic Technician" mean? It just seems to be a very specific talent."

The blue eyed boy continued to smile but a dark look came to his eyes, his aura becoming serious. "It's in regards to the team myself and my siblings are in... It's quite complicated really... I'll explain some other time."

I frowned at his question dodging but left him be. _We are all entitled to our own secrets..._

With a brighter smile the young man picked up his tools. "Well I better get back to work before heading to the town centre." He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, a knowing twinkle in his eye as he turned to Rin. "Mr Quarta, I wonder if you would be willing to help me? After all your agility would greatly help for any of the slightly taller buildings."

I gave a hum of understanding as a grin spread across my face, turning to the ninja with relieved glee. "Yeah, then you two will be able to finish the job twice as fast and I'll see you at the town centre in no time!"

The shorter boy's brows furrowed, a sceptical look passing between Vechs and myself. "Maybe... But what about Miss Saiki? If I'm marking buildings who is going to protect her?"

An insulted growl rumbled in my chest quietly when a gentle hand took my shoulder. "Now Rin, I am sure Ash here can take care of herself, as the Ultimate Archer I'm sure that she is more than qualified to protect herself... You aren't questioning her abilities... Are you?"

The young man's eyes widened in panic as he realised his error. "No! O..Of course not!"

Vechs gave a wide grin and offered the ninja the bucket and brush. "Well then we can finish marking the buildings and then we will see her there."

Rin reluctantly took the tools from the strange boy when a spark of determination lit up his golden eyes. "Yeah but I'll beat you there Ash! That's a promise!"

Then quicker than I could blink the scarf wearing figure vanished before my eyes.

I chuckled to myself in relief at Rin's disappearance, a pang of guilt hitting my gut. Well... He wasn't too bad... It's a shame...

The hand left my shoulder as Vechs took a step away from me and offered his hand once more. "Well it was a pleasure Miss Ash but I must finish my current mission."

I gladly accepted his hand, a grin on my lips. " Of course, it was nice meeting you Vechs, also thanks for that... Rin's a nice guy but..."

The taller boy nodded knowingly. "Not a problem. Just consider it a favour."

My smile faltered at Vector's sudden statement but before I could think he had already began his journey down the winding street. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of owing the strange man a 'favour' but it was best not to think about it. I pushed it to the back of my mind and continued my journey towards the taller buildings that Vector had mentioned. As I wandered down the claustrophobic streets I noticed that they, thankfully, widened out; Becoming broader as I reached what should have been the high street of the town. Unfortunately, like the buildings before, they were also boarded up with thick sheets of metal and wood which were attached haphazardly to each storefront. Exposed sections showed panes of smashed glass and dark areas that held no life.

 _This place truly is a ghost town..._

The eeriness of my surroundings turned my stomach uncomfortably; literal nausea working its way through my system as my anxiety took over. Suddenly the dizziness began and forced me to stop walking and rest against one of the crumbling, grey walls of a small side street. Attempting to concentrate on my breathing, I closed my eyes and, for the first time, relished in the peace and quiet; lulling myself into a temporary sense of security. I gently played with the silver chain bracelet which hung around my right wrist; carefully stroking the bow and arrow charm which hung from it. Pulling comfort from the familiar object.

A gentle hand touched my forearm as a sweet voice called me from my trance. "Are you alright honey?"

Jumping away from the contact I spun around to see two boys looking at me with worry... _Well at least one of them was..._

The one who had laid his hand on my arm gave me a friendly smile, taking a cautious step towards me, as though I was an injured animal. "Easy honey, I didn't mean to frighten you. Are you alright?"

Gazing blankly at the new face, I nodded numbly before taking inventory of the two new boys. They were roughly the same height as me but had very different styles.

The young man who had approached me had short brown hair and kind blue eyes which sparkled with life. He wore a well fitted, dark blue dress shirt with dark jeans and black shoes which gave a sense of elegance that suited his somewhat feminine mannerisms. His clean cut appearance gave him an air of self-confidence that seemed contagious.

His companion however was almost his opposite. His hazel and blue mismatched eyes seemed bored and tired as he stared into space, heavy bags shadowing his eyes. His hair was also short but was a strange reddish blonde, almost strawberry blonde, that stuck out in messy bedraggled spikes. His clothes were crumpled and untidy, as though he had slept in them; consisting of a blue PlayStation shirt with a pair of green, baggy trousers with scuffed brown boots that hid under ends. Finally a black and silver jacket hung loosely on his shoulders, perching precariously, as though a gust of wind could blow it off.

The boy who had approached me offered a gentle hand, a kind smile on his lips that made me feel at easy. "Well as long as you are okay hun. Well I must introduce myself! I am Sarau Niseshojo! But I am better known by my stage name 'Kokoro' and I am the Ultimate Drag Queen!"

A small smile worked it's way onto my face, caught from Sarau's contagious charisma as I shook his soft hand. "Hi, I'm Ashida Saiki but everyone calls me Ash, I'm the Ultimate Archer."

The flamboyant figure's grin grew. "It is an absolute joy to meet you darling! You should keep that smile going, it suits you!"

My smile grew at his genuine compliment, my anxiety left behind in the drag queen's wake.

With a dramatic gasp and gesture, Sarau pointed to his quiet companion. Almost as though he had forgotten that the dishevelled boy was there. "Oh and this, not so, ray of sunshine is Minato Nobunaga.. "

Elbowing the distracted boy sharply, Sarau gesture for him to continue his introduction. Minato turned his face in boredom, yawning briefly as he looked my way rubbing his blue eye absentmindedly. "Ultimate Gamer."

The drag queen nudged him again, earning a glare from the laid back individual. "Nice to meet ya... I s'pose."

The fabulous young man gave a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temple in exasperation. "Minato that is NOT how you greet another human being!"

The blonde boy shrugged nonchalantly, not bothered by his lack of social skills. He tried to lean back onto the crumbling wall, only to push some of the loose brick work from the building and fall backwards onto the small of his back. I snorted at the sudden fail, while Sarau facepalmed dramatically his sassy aura growing with every second. My heart felt much lighter than before, all of my discomfort gone because of the two before me. A genuine smile split my face in appreciation as I helped the fallen boy, dusting off his jacket which I replaced on his dusty shoulders.

"Thanks guys, I needed that."

The boys looked to me, one with a happy smile, the other with a shrug as our handbooks sang, updating quickly.

 **Name: Sarau Niseshojo**

 **SHSL: Drag Queen**

 **Gender: Male**

 **D.O.B: 28th September**

 **Height: 5ft 7in**

 **Eyes: Blue**

 **Hair: Brown, short**

 **...**

 **Name: Minato Nobunaga**

 **SHSL: Gamer**

 **Gender: Male**

 **D.O.B: 1st October**

 **Height: 5ft 7in**

 **Eyes: Hazel and Blue (heterochromia)**

 **Hair: Red- blonde, short, spiked**

As usual I skimmed the information contained within the profiles, but they didn't offer much insight so I stashed the handbook into my pocket once more.

"Wow! So we are all Autumn babies? What a coincidence!"

I chuckled at Sarau's optimistic outlook before changing my focus to my original task. "Well guys I'm gonna start towards the town centre but I might explore a bit more, do you want to go together or shall we split up and see each other there?"

The two looked at me in thought.

Minato shrugged before facing in the general direction of the centre. "I'm gonna head straight there, walking is just too boring."

Sarau looked between us briefly before hooking his arm through mine. "I don't mind exploring! Who knows what we could find! It's quite exciting!"

I laughed at the drag queen's antics. "Well I guess it's decided."

The Gamer boy shrugged and walked off, not saying a word as he went. Lost in his own world.

The fabulous boy beside me sucked on his teeth, sighibg dramatically. "I swear, he's a lovely boy but my god he's a Debbie downer!"

I laughed again, my arm still hooked with Sarau's as we strolled through the side streets almost as though we were just two friends on a shopping trip. We enjoyed our companionable silence as we wandered, just gazing at the plain buildings, looking at the lack of variation with a sense of curiosity. We turned into another wide street which held what appeared to be run down café's and bars, taking into account the fronts. As we walked we discovered a set of unused seats with a table which sat in the opening of another side street.

Deciding to take a quick seat, we pulled the silver furniture out and dusted it down. Settling outside what we assumed had been a restaurant.

Sighing in relief at my aching back, I leant back slightly and relaxed into the seat. "This is slightly better, being on your feet too long sucks."

The blue eyed boy scoffed leaning towards me with his chin on his palm. "Sweetheart, you should try running on your feet for several hours on six inch heels with an outrageous costume on!"

I giggled at the suggestion, holding my hands up is surrender. "Touché."

Sarau giggled with me, a curious twinkle in his eye. "I meant to ask earlier, but where did you get that delightful bracelet from? It's quite beautiful."

Holding up my wrist, I smile at the piece of jewellery fondly. "I got it from my grandmother, it was a gift that she gave me before my first big competition..." I faltered slightly, the sting of grief piercing my heart. Making me wince as tears began to form. "It was... For good luck... Sorry, she passed away recently so it still hurts to talk about.'

Sarau reached across the table, setting his hand on my forearm comfortingly. "It's okay hun, just take your time, wounds will heal eventually."

I nodded solemnly, my tears drying before they could fall. We succumbed to the silence once again, just enjoying eachother's company.

As I turned to suggest we continue on I heard footsteps approach from a side street, looking up to see a short figure emerge timidly from the gap. From the shape of the figure I could tell that they were female and as she got closer I could make out her face which glared at us with a mix of distrust and artificial disgust. Really she looked terrified.

She had long dark hair which was woven into a tight braid to the left side of her head. Her eyes were large and as cold as the icy blue of her iris, framed by large round glasses which simultaneously made her look intelligent and awkward. Her clothes consisted of a smart white shirt with a grey vest over the top and a delicate ribbon of a grey blue tied neatly around her neck. Her knee length skirt was also grey with ankle high socks and black flats completing her neat yet reserved appearance.

Myself and Sarau didn't move, allowing the girl to approach us in a pace she was comfortable with.

When she was finally within earshot I smiled and gestured to her in a friendly manner. "Hello there, how are you? I'm Ashida Saiki, but most people call me Ash." I gestured to Sarau who smiled gently. "And this is Sarau Niseshojo, I am the Ultimate Archer and he is the Ultimate Drag Queen."

The dark haired girl looked between us, her eyes filled with uneasiness as she whispered to us quietly. "Hello..."

My smile became encouraging, trying to coax her from her shell. "Well what's your name?"

She frowned, crossing her arms defensively. Her shoulders shaking subtly in fright. "Fuyu... Hisikawa... Ultimate Mathematician."

I gently rose to my feet, my smile remaining open and friendly as I offered her my hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you Fuyu."

She looked at my hand questioningly, shaking shaking it quickly and sharply. "It's a pleasure... I'm sure."

The ring of our handbooks filled the awkward silence, as we looked to see what new information it had.

 **Name: Fuyu Hisikawa**

 **SHSL: Mathematician**

 **Gender: Female**

 **D.O.B: 19th December**

 **Height: 4ft 7in**

 **Eyes: Ice blue**

 **Hair: Black, long**

As usual it wasn't much but it was enough to distract our small group.

Returning my handbook to my pocket, I began to scratch at the back of my neck in discomfort whilst the intelligent young woman before us fiddled with her glasses. None of us were able to form a sentence as the awkward silence prevailed, standing in comfortably in the heat as we stare at each other.

Clearing his thoat to get our attention, Sarau gesture towards the end of the street. "Well we can just stand here all day, let's head towards the square and meet with the others."

Humming in agreement I looked to Fuyu cautiously, she nodded sharply and began to stride down the street quickly. I followed closely behind with Sarau beside me. We were both unsure of how to interact with the mathematician so instead we stayed silent.

Ding dong, bing bong.

Our trio paused at the sound as a loud speaker blared out the voice of the mysterious bear that called itself the mayor.

"Ahem, the is an announcement from the mayor's office, it has been quite some time since I called you all into the town centre and so far you have all made it into the town its self. Well done but what must a bear do to get his citizens to gather in the spot he called them to?"

The bear sighed dramatically, a condescending tone to his voice. "Well perhaps an incentive will help? In the centre of town I have left a set of envelopes that contain information that you may want to see, who knows, they might tell you why you are here? Upupupupupupupupu!"

His screeching laughter rang through the streets before he stopped suddenly. "Oh and I'm also going to give you a time limit! After all who doesn't long a race against the clock?! Well you all have thirty minutes to get to our meeting place or I will destroy the envelopes, that means all of you must be present! And also if you aren't here in time... You never know there might be a punishment waiting for you! Upupupupupupupupu, ahahahahaha!"

The speakers went dead, leaving us in dead silence as his voice still rang through our ears.

My face was drained of colour as I turned to my companions, both were also white. Fear clear in their eyes.

"We need to move, now."

* * *

 _A/N- So that's our second group through! Next chapter will have the last members of our cast and you never know, there might even be the appearance of a certain abomination that we all know and love ;)_

 _The (new) OCs in this chapter belong to the following people! Thanks once again guys and I hope I did okay in portraying them!_

 _Rintarou "Rin" Quarta- Lloyd's Fics_

 _Vector "Vechs" Litgen- Fire Dusk_

 _Sarau "Kokoro" Niseshojo- Faux Sekai_

 _Minato Nobunaga- PalaDude234_

 _Fuyu Hisikawa- WendyDokuro_

 _Remember to review! And see you guys in the next one!_


	5. Chapter 4- Introductions: part 3

_Hello everyone! Thanks for your wonderful reviews, I'm so glad that last chapter wasn't as bad as my inner critic was telling me. I am trying to worm in more and more of Ash's personality and her own beliefs and values so I will admit I'm a bit awkward about it (it's the Northern Irish in me XD) but Ill get there :)_

 _Anyway onto the next chapter!_

 _As always I only own my OC and this particular setting whereas all the other OCs/characters belong to their respective owners! The concept isn't mine however so please support the games and anime!_

 _Also give the OCs' owners some love too!_

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Introductions: part 3 and unBEARable annoyances

* * *

We jogged quickly down the cracked brick streets of the ghost town with determination, spurred by the bear to reach the centre before it was too late.

Our trio was silent bar the laboured breaths of my companions, who were obviously not as well trained as myself. The rhythm of our footsteps was like tribal beats drummed on the path, matching the pace of our racing hearts. If there wasn't a threat of a 'punishment' over our heads the activity could have been relaxing but instead my heart felt as though it was clamped within a vice. With every painful beat I could feel our precious time tick away. It was as though every second was a drop of my life's blood, dripping carelessly from a gapping wound and with every drop I was one step closer to bleeding out.

The morbid thoughts that flooded my mind brought an assistant in the form of a splitting headache. My head's pounding, acting as the snare to my heart's bass drum. My body was like a one man band until finally a voice pulled me from my stupor.

"Ash.. Ha.. Hun.. We need to stop.. Uh.. for a second. Fuyu and I can't keep up!"

I looked back to Sarau's disheveled appearance, looking at his flushed face as though I was underwater. I couldn't understand his words but I understood the general message. Nodding drunkenly, I crouched down onto my hunkers and observed as my companions bent over from lack of oxygen. Gulping at the air as though they were washed up fish, fighting to live. Pulling out my handbook, I examined the map to find our location when I noticed a number in the corner as it steadily count down.

19.02 minutes remaining.

19.01 minutes remaining.

18.59 minutes remaining.

Mesmerised by the lowering numbers, I simply stared at my screen, lost in thought when a finger touched my cheek. Jumping I spun to see Fuyu looking at me with a condescending frown.

Her icy eyes were still as cold as earlier. "Are you going to listen now or shall we leave you here to be 'punished' by a strange monochrome bear?"

I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What?"

The girl gave a frustrated growl as she gritted her teeth. Her frown deepening darkly over her brow. "According to the key on the map and my calculations we should be able to arrive in the centre somewhere around the thirteen minute mark, that is if we begin to quickly walk in a south easterly direction through the backstreets of this strange town. If we jog we may arrive at the fifteen minute mark but I calculate that we will collapse from dehydration before either myself or Sarau make it fifty metres from our current position."

My mind was a flurry with her words, sluggishly processing their meaning when they finally clicked. My eyes widened as I shot to my feet, eager to follow the mathematician's suggestions. "Okay! That sounds great, then we can investigate the envelopes and still have time to spare!"

The dark haired girl's bored expression told me she had already thought of that, making my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Unwilling to waste anymore time we quickly walked through the backstreets, following the lead of the significantly shorter girl as she powered ahead. Her confidence in her intelligence was admirable but her distain for my slow reactions was harsh, she obviously had a low tolerance for those underneath her own intelligence. The trait made me feel somewhat inferior but I decided that I would try to win her over if I got the chance.

We continued to hurry through the winding streets under Fuyu's direction when I noticed that they began to change. They were no longer the thin side streets from before. Instead they had become more akin to proper pedestrian paths which widened into main streets that lead deeper into the town. As we continued to follow we got closer to the heart of the town, feeling less constrained. But suddenly, as we turned our final corner, we were greeted with a huge, wide square. It sat before a tall building, which I assumed to be the town hall, beyond which stretched the deep blue of the lake. We stood in silent awe at the sudden beauty of the town, gazing at the twinkling water before spying the group that had gathered by the tall structure.

I recognised the majority of the people who stood together sparsely, smiling in greeting to those who looked my way; Ane and Mitsuru still stood together quietly with Tohru and Azu nearby. Reiko had shaken off the Ultimate Salesman and was now conversing with a disinterested Minato, whilst Akeno tried to engage with a paint covered Rin, who was too busy trying to pick the bright red substance from his scarf. Vector however stood off gazing at the imposing structure before him, he was in much better shape than his ninja assistant but there were tiny spatters of red on his trousers. However hovering nearby stood a new figure who leant nonchalantly against the wall of the building, his features calm and relaxed in comparison to the relatively tense atmosphere of the group.

His hair was a faded black, almost brown colour that was short and loosely spiked up whilst his eyes had a confident gleam and were a muddy brown colour, calmly scanning the crowd from his position against the hall. He was slightly shorter than me but was very broad, with thick strong shoulders and arms that he had loosely folded over his muscular chest, his tanned skin rippling along with his muscle. He wore a black sport jacket with the sleeves rolled up and the front unzipped due to the heat, with a white tank top with blue stripes on the side underneath. It sat snugly across his chest, showing off his muscle definition through the cloth, he was obviously proud of his physique. On his legs he wore a pair of loose red shorts and a pair of sandals, once again showing off his well developed legs.

As we approached, the various individuals greeted us with warmth (well most of them). The atmosphere calming slightly as relief washed over the crowd.

The new figure approached slowly, offering a charming smile and a hand. "Hi there, we haven't met yet but I'm Takeo Yamazaki, the Ultimate FIsherman, I'm assuming you are Ashida? The Ultimate Archer I believe, the others have mentioned you briefly. But it's nice to meet another sportsperson, we seem to be an endangered species in this class.'

I gave him a cautious smile, shaking his hand briefly only to encounter his immense strength. He was definitely a force to be reckoned with. "Nice to meet you Takeo. Yeah I'm Ashida, Ashida Saiki but you can call me Ash and I think you're right, there is a lot of highly intelligent people in this group."

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but we have to keep the physical side going ."

I nodded at his statement just as our handbooks went off, prompting me to glance at his profile.

 **Name: Takeo Yamazaki**

 **SHSL: Fisherman**

 **Gender: Male**

 **D.O.B: 21st April**

 **Height: 5ft 6in**

 **Eyes: Brown**

 **Hair: Black, faded, short**

As always they didn't offer me much in the way if insight but it was still interesting. It also shows me that we still had ten and a half minutes before the bear inacted his threat... _Wait what?.._ Looking up from the screen I counted the people around me quickly, just to ease my panicked mind, but instead my headache was reawakened... _There are thirteen of us here... We are missing three people..._

I searched the small crowd thoroughly but got the same result, my heart racing in time with my mind. My stormy expression brought attention as three worried figures gathered around me.

"Are you okay Ash?"

I looked up to the concerned faces of Azu, Tohru and Sarau as they looked to me in worry. I shook my head and gestured to my handbook. "No, I'm not. Look, according to my handbook we have eight and a half minutes before that bear does whatever he's gonna do! And we are missing three people!"

The trio's eyes widened in realisation as they fumbled for the respective handbooks. Tohru pointed to three blue triangles that sat outside if the yellow box that was the town centre. "There are our missing people, two together to the south east and one to the south west."

I nodded sharply. "Right we need to get them here now, one of you guys go get who ever is at the south west, they are closer and seem to be coming this way anyway."

Tohru nodded. "I'll do that, maybe my luck will do some good."

I smiled in acknowledgment when Sarau put a gentle hand on mine. "And what about the other two?"

Frowning with determination, I stashed away my handbook, glancing at what little time we had left. "We only have six and a bit minutes to do this, I have plenty of energy left so I will run and get them."

Azu frowned. "Are you sure you will be able to do that?"

I nodded my head and turned away. "I'll be fine."

Without a second thought I sprinted through the crowd and across the square, Tohru doing the same opposite me before finally disappearing into the streets. I ran with reckless abandon, the hastily remembered map in my mind as I dashed between the grey stone buildings. My lungs burnt as I pushed myself, feeling as though I was breathing fire. My eyes began to water against the pain when I heard a loud unfamiliar voice ahead.

The voice was shrill and distinctly feminine and, from what I could hear, extremely frustrated. "Most human beingings actually break breath to eachother, seriously are you mute or just stupid?!"

Jogging within range of the voice I turned to find two figures standing with one towering over the other. Despite the similarity in height it was obvious that the two were complete opposites in the way of temperament.

The girl who stood over the hunched figure of a boy was going almost as red as her jacket as her ice cold, blue eyes drilled holes menacingly into the young man. From my position I could see that her hair was a soft brown, skillfully tied back into an intricate french braid with a crimson ribbon that went perfectly with her outfit. She was thin and very well dressed, as though she was ready to walk down a runway, with a bright red jacket and matching skirt. Underneath she wore a bright white blouse and black leggings with black shin high boots.

If anything her appearance screamed of class and grace but her body language and expression were far from that, as though she was about to physically explode.

Her poor victim was very different from the red faced brunette and looked almost ready to keel over from the stress of his cornered position.

He had shor, wavy purple hair that shone slightly in the light making his panicked appearance somewhat ethereal, as his wide grey eyes remained locked on his aggressor. Over his hyperventilating chest he wore a black turtleneck sweater over which he had a dark purple uniform jacket, the heaviness of which had me worrying about his physical health. Just to add to it, he also wore black trousers with thick black boots. But my mind was instantly taken from his attire when I noticed the object that he clutched in his hand.

The pendant was a bright silver with shining gems set into the metal, which twinkled in the light. The heavy chain was securely wrapped around the boy's hand as though it was a shield against the girl. As I continued to stare a heavy ache began to build up in my temples before spreading into my skull. The headache also brought a bought of nausea, but most of all I felt a sense if déja vu.

 _I've seen that pendant before..._

"And what are you staring at?"

Jumping from my trance, I looked to the red faced girl who seemed to be a much healthier colour, but there was still a fiery glare in her eye. If looks could kill I would have spontaneously combusted on the spot.

Absentmindedly massaging my temple I stepped forward with urgency. Pulling my handbook from my pocket with a grave expression. "Nothing, however I was looking for you two as we need to get to the centre. We have less than three minutes before-"

Before I could finish my sentence the girl pushed me aside, contempt in her eye. "I take orders from no one."

Without another word, the one woman battering ram, storm off in the direct I had came from. A confrontational aura following her like a storm cloud. Cocking an eyebrow in confusion I turned back to the purple haired boy who gazed at me with a glazed stare. Almost as though he was staring straight through me.

"Ahem, well we gotta go now, so just follow me and try to keep up."

Setting off at a gentle jog I listened as the boy matched my steps, however he kept his distance. His, no longer fogged up, eyes briming with distrust. The silence was heavy as we traveled, the weight of our time limit weighing heavily on my shoulders as we finally reached the edge of the square.

1.23 minutes remaining.

Breathing a sigh of tense relief I went to take a step forward to cross the threshold between town and centre when a tentative hand tapped my shoulder. Spinning to look at my companion I could see that he had relaxed somewhat, but now he looked as though he wished to speak.

Smiling gently, I nodded to the boy. "You okay?"

He nodded tentatively. "Yes, but I should thank you for finding me... The girl from before was Fiona Kimsay, the Ultimate Fashion Designer and I am Takuya Ito, the Ultimate Spirit Medium."

I was slightly taken aback by the boy's strangely offered information but I continued to smile anyway. "Okay, well it's nice to meet you Takuya I'm-"

He held up a hand, staring over my shoulder calmly. "You are Ashida Saiki, the Ultimate Archer."

I froze slightly at his sudden statement, a sudden shiver racing down my spine as the familiar bleep of my handbook broke the silence. Before I could check it, Takuya's quiet voice spoke up.

"I have a message for you."

I could feel my face drain of colour at his words, my throat drying at the possibilities. "what message?"

The grey eyed boy looked to me softly, his expression becoming kind and almost... Child like?

"He forgives you."

My heart plummeted into my stomach, panic setting in as I stared at the medium in distress. _He knows!_

I could feel the frenzied beating of my heart as my breath became irregular and painful. Following my instinct I turned from Takuya and ran as fast as I could, blind panic controlling my movement. I couldn't focus as my mind ran rampant, painful images eating at my sanity when I suddenly collided with an obstruction in my path. An obstacle that made a distinctly feminine squeal. I fell backwards, landing heavily on my rump with a grunt, before looking up to see a pair of nervous black eyes staring at me from behind a curtain of honey coloured hair.

My eyes widened as I saw the other girl, scrambling to my feet as I offered my hand to her. My earlier panic forgotten. "Oh God, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!"

The smaller girl gave a shaky nod before shyly accepting my hand. I pulled her up and gently held her arm, helping her steady herself. Quickly looking her over in case of any injuries, I noticed that she was quite a bit shorter than me with wavy shoulder length hair that was the literal colour of golden honey. On her slight frame she wore an olive green army jacket that clung loosely to her shoulders with a white tank top beneath. She also wore a dark red miniskirt with grey cat leggings and black combat boots with untied shoelaces. All in all she had quite an interesting look that made me think that she may be the creative type… And if I was honest I'd say she was pretty cute.

Almost as though she heard my thoughts, she looked up at me under her eyelashes cautiously, my cheeks burning up as she caught my stare.

I took a short step away and coughed to cover my embarrassment, scratching the back of my neck in regret. "Um yeah, I'm so sorry I ran into you, I should have been watching where I was going… Um, well, anyway I'm Ashida Saiki, Ultimate Archer…. But you can call me Ash… if you want that is..."

I cringed at my awkwardness, my blush returning with a vengeance when the girl gave out a giggle, a gentle smile on her lips. I chuckled with her when she looked up at me fully, ringing her hands as she did.

"I'm Yuko Himaru, Ultimate Manga Artist, it's nice to me you Ash."

My handbook made a ding sound as it updated with Yuko's details before a short soundbite notified me of the completed section of the app.

 **Name: Fiona Kimsay**

 **SHSL: Fashion Designer**

 **Gender: Female**

 **D.O.B: 18th September**

 **Height: 5ft 6in**

 **Eyes: Blue**

 **Hair: Brown, long, braided**

 **...**

 **Name: Takuya Ito**

 **SHSL: Spirit Medium**

 **Gender: Male**

 **D.O.B: 1st November**

 **Height: 5ft 6in**

 **Eyes: Grey**

 **Hair: Light purple, short, wavy**

 **...**

 **Name: Yuko Himaru**

 **SHSL: Manga Artist**

 **Gender: Female**

 **D.O.B: 29th October**

 **Height: 5ft**

 **Eyes: Black**

 **Hair: Honey-blonde, shoulder length, wavy**

My heart skipped a beat at Takuya's profile, my earlier panic reawakening itself when a loud horn began to blare. Like my fellow students I clamped my hands over my ears as the horrendous sound echoed through out the square. To make the situation even more bizarre the floor began to shake terribly, causing us all to stumble drunkenly on the shifting cobbles at a strange shape ascended from the floor.

From a hatch in the of the centre of the squarea, a huge bronze statue rose out of the ground.

The collosal object what mounted on a marble plinth, with a polished brass plate bolted to the front. Butt what most interesting was the figure itself. Upon the stereotypical rearing steed was what looked like... A teddy bear? But not any bear, but the bear that had been on the screens and speakers before. But what caught my eye the most was the stack white objects impaled by the bear's sword.

The envelopes.

"Wow, thirty three seconds to spare! So time limits really do work!"

Dragging my eyes from the statue, I set my eyes to the top of the town hall stairs to see something that mad emy head spin. The bear was standing at the top, it's paws firmly placed against its hips. Just like on the monitors; The bear was half white and half black, as though two bear's had been ripped in two and were sown together to make one. But also on the left side of its face, where there should have been an eye there was a bright red gash that shone. But there was also a a jagged smile, once again on its left side, that seemed to almost widen as we stared in shock at the strange contraption.

This whole situation was too surreal to be reality and as the seconds went by my stomach began to feel sicker and sicker.

Suddenly the tiny figure began to toddle down the steep steps, completely free and unhindered as it hummed it itself. "I must admit I'm impressed you all made it this far without one of you collapsing from heat stroke! I'll just have to turn up the heat even more next time upupupu!"

I stared numbly at the bear as it waddled past me, taking its stage as it settled into the centre of the group. "Well boys and girls, welcome to Mount Hope! Where you will all be living out the rest of your pitiful little lives! Surrounded by beautiful mountains with ample amounts of supplies and entertainment! And to make your stay even better! I am your headmaster, your mayor and the cutest mascot around! Monokuma!"

Striking what I think was supposed to be a cute pose. "Monokuma" looked to all of us in expectation when a loud chorus of laughter rang through the group. Takeo, Rin and Akeno all gave out louds roars of laughter whilst most of the others chuckled along in good nature, disbelief fueling their humour. But myself, Ane, Mitsuru and Takuya stayed quiet, a collective look of caution running between us as a dark look clouded Monokuma's split face.

Rin wiped a tear from his eye, patting his chest as his laughter encouraged a coughing fit. "Woah! Okay that was a good one! Okay guys! Funny joke! You can come out now!"

Takeo chuckled as well, clapping a hand onto the ninja's shoulder. "Yea! Great job on the gag guys! But let's get serious!"

The laughter died down slowly, leaving behind a gentle warmth to the mirthful atmosphere. But just as we began to relax the cackling began.

"...Upupupu... Upupupupupupupupu! Ahahahahaha! You all really think this is a joke?!" The two sporting men looked to the bear in confusion as it grinned darkly. "Well you are all even dumber then I thought!"

The bear jumped away from us, over the head of Fuyu Hisikawa who jumped away from the impossible achievement as the teddy landed on the statue. "Well then I might as well give you the cold hard honest truth! This is not a place for hope! This is not Hope's Peak Academy! No, this place is much more as you all have two choices, as I said before you can all stay here and live out your pathetic existences with the are of this dome or... You can KILL one of your fellow class mates and leave!"

A collective shiver ran through our ranks at the suggestion, a simultaneous gasp rising from us. My body began to shake uncontrollably, terror sinking in. _K..Kill?_

The grin on Monokuma's smug face seemed to grow wider at our panic as he retrieved the envelopes from the statue. "Yes! You will kill! Only then will you see the world again! See your families again! The choice is yours!"

And with that final statement he threw the envelopes down to us so that were scattered across the floor. But when we looked up again, he was gone. Scrambling to pick up the pieces of paper, we all fought eachother to finder out the secrets within until each of the five envelopes was held by a different person.

Fiona, Mitsuru, Minato, Sarau and Tohru held one each, tearing into their respective envelopes only for their faces to drop in confusion.

Fiona's face screwed up in frustration as she flipped her piece of paper back and forth. ""Not"? What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

The other four nodded before displaying their respective words. First, It's, Time, Their.

Humming to herself thoughtfully, I watched as Ane picked up the envelope that Mitsuru had discarded. Looking over it thoroughly her eyes lit up as she made eye contact with me. "Ashida, look at this."

Following her direction I looked at the spot on the paper where her finger rested on what looked to be the number four. As though a light bulb had been switched on in my head I looked to Ane with wide eyes. "They are ordered."

Smiling condescending, the forensics specialist nodded slowly and gestured towards the five confused teens. Taking the hint I approached the group and politely removed the papers from them. I knelt on the ground, the other fifteen students crowding around me as I matched the papers to the envelopes.

Leaning right over my shoulder curiously, Reiko lifted an eyebrow questioningly. "What ya don't Ash?"

I began to move around the pieces, carefully placing them in the right order. "I'm figuring out the meaning Reiko... And I don't think I like it..."

Once again my stomach plummeted and my heart was in my throat as the entire group looked on in tense silence. It was so thick you could cut it with a knife... And according to this message someone already had...

 ** _IT'S NOT THEIR FIRST TIME._**

* * *

 _/N- So that's our full cast introduced and now it's on to the excitement of the game... Who will live? Who will die? And who is our mastermind this time around? Next chapter will be the beginning of our contestants lives within Mount Hope!_

 _As a quick note, I have put up a poll for the free time ! You get two votes, one for the morning and one for the afternoon of each day :) so vote for which characters you want to see Ash interact with first! :}_

 _The (new) OCs in this chapter belong to the following people! Thanks once again guys and I hope I did okay in portraying them!_

 _Takeo Yamazaki- SevillaBoy_

 _Fiona Kimsay- Shadowclanwarrior_

 _Takuya Ito- Katastic Writer_

 _Yuko Himaru- Deadrabbit00_

 _Remember to review! And see you guys in the next one!_


	6. Author's chapter 2

**Author's Chapter**

 **Polls, questions and ideas**

* * *

Hey guys! As you can see this isn't a new chapter but it is a little update as I was a dumby and didn't actually set the poll ot be visible on my bio XD I have this fixed now so I hope you guys will use it so that I can see who everyone is itching to know more about :)

Also just a heads up to my submitters! I will be sending you guys a list of questions via pm soon so that I can understand the nitty gritty details of your respective characters, it is completely voluntary as to whether you answer or not but it you would I would be very thankful :)

And to any other readers (and submitters if you want to take part) I am currently composing a list of potential motives for our wondercul contestants and I would love to hear your ideas! They may or may not be used but I still want you guys to have a say in the events of the story so go nuts! You could even tailor them towards specific characters if you so wish.

If you do want to share please PM me your ideas! As we wouldn't want any spoilers ;)

Last note I have decided, purely because I have the drive and partially the need (As I am currently building up a sketchbook before uni). I would like to know if you guys would like to see me draw our various contestants? And maybe even snippets of Mount Hope itself?

If so I would like to formally ask our submitters for permission to sketch out their characters.

* * *

I can't wait to hear your ideas!

See you in the next one!

Kristin-Arrow-Lundy


	7. Chapter 5- Daily Life Begins!

_Well ladies and gents first off I must apologise for the late chapter, life has just been getting absolutely insane recently but I'll make sure I'm on time with the next one. Anyway the first lot of votes are in and our two free time participants are!.._

 _Sarau and Mitsuru!_

 _Should be interesting to get to know a little more about these two, I wonder what our resident Drag Queen and Gang leader have to say :)_

 _Remember to vote for the next two! Also a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, I have really appreciated your encouraging feedback and can't wait to see how you react to future chapters. Another_ _shout out to those who have favourited and followed this story, I'm so glad you were willing to stick around and I hope I don't let you guys down!_

 _Now without further ado! On to the story!_

 _As always I only own my OC and this particular setting whereas all the other OCs/characters belong to their respective owners! The concept isn't mine however so please support the games and anime!_

 _Also give the OCs' owners some love too!_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Daily Life Begins: Investigations and free time.

* * *

 ** _IT'S NOT THEIR FIRST TIME._**

Those words swirled around and around my mind, making me feel sicker with each pass. _Do they know? But how?! They promised that they wouldn't tell anyone!_

My head spun wildly as I attempted to pull myself from my paranoia. _There's no way they could know... right?_ The large group stood sparsely around me, all with similar looks of distress and paranoia at the vague message. It was obvious that the hint had affected everyone differently but the atmosphere was definitely one of panic and fear. Gathering up the pieces of paper I stood and looked to my fellow Ultimates with a lump in my throat, almost as though my anxiety had silenced my thoughts. As I gazed at the other students I could see the various types of expressions that were common amongst us. Like myself Azusa looked highly disturbed and almost fearful, whereas Mitsuru and Ane looked around with eyes full of suspicion. However from the look in Rin's eyes I could tell that his mind was elsewhere.

Swallowing the lump I looked around in concern before lifting the papers before everyone. "So what do you guys think this all means?"

A thoughtful hum rumbled through the crowd as everyone contemplated our clue.

Puffing her chest out in warming Mitsuru was the first to answer, her tone cold. "It is obviously linked to the killing game and could be referring to murder."

Fiona gave a huff at the obvious statement, glaring at myself, Takeo, Rin and Mitsuru. "So that means that there is a killer amongst us and if I was to guess I would say that you four are the most likely taking into account your talents."

I felt the blood drain from my face at the brunette's accusation when Ane spoke up. "It might not refer to killing though! The message may be in reference to this situation or maybe to whoever has trapped us here as in that someone amongst us has been in a situation like this before or that even our captor has overseen this kind of game before."

"Yeah!" Jumping forward with gusto, Rin pulled his scarf down to speak before quickly yanking it upwards again. Averting his eyes from everyone. "Or it could be about... You know?"

With a growl of disgust Takeo reached forward and dragged the ninja back by his collar, delivering a sharp smack to the back of Rin's head. "How about no, that's disgusting dude!"

The golden eyed boy gave an apologetic mumble as his was berated by the aggravated fisherman. I chuckled somewhat at their antics, Rin's perverted comment defusing the situation, allowing everyone to breathe easier.

Humming in thought Azu cautiously stepping forward. "Just a thought but couldn't this message be a ruse?"

Looking to the writer in interest, I cocked my head slightly. "What do you mean?"

As all attention was turned to her, the romance novelist began to play with her hands shyly, hiding her expression in her fringe. " , you see, umm a lot of, umm mystery stories or dramas use it, it's a.a good plot device to add, a.a red herring."

"...She's right... By adding false information it creates tension." Quietly nodding her head. Yuko approached Azu with a smile, lightly resting her hand on her fellow writer's shoulder in support. "I've seen it many times in mangas, its a nice easy way to create doubt and questions in the reader's mind."

I nodded in understanding, smiling thankfully at the two writers when Vector cleared his throat to gain our attention.

"In that case I think it would be safe for us to discard this 'clue' until we have more to back it up. I would also suggest that we instead focus on figuring out our current situation and what we can and cannot do."

The group gave an affirmative noise, splitting into small groups to search the area and investigate Mount Hope. By some stroke of bad luck I ended up alone and decided to wander the square before widening my search.

The square was wide and long with the huge statue from before sitting in the centre in front of what I confirmed to be the town hall. Curious about the hall itself I strode up the stairs and rattled the door, but it was firmly locked. _I'm guessing that is Monokuma's domain... He mustn't want us to see what's inside..._

A beep resonated from my handbook. It was slightly different to the sound of my profiles app so I decided to investigate, spotting a outlined icon listed as 'notes'.

 **Note added: Locked Town Hall**

Humming at the development, I decided to keep my handbook out in case it gave anymore information. Descending the stairs quickly I jogged over to the left side of the square where a small café sat. Complete with tables and chairs outside below a cloth cover, it looked like any other café that you would see down the street. Outside of it sat Reiko and Tohru who were both enjoying a bottle of water and a cupcake each whilst reclining in the chairs.

I approached and settled behind Tohru, leaning against the back of his chair nonchalantly. "Enjoying your break?"

Tohru looked up at me, a tiny smear of icing on his lip as he smiled. "Actually we are testing something."

I raised an eyebrow questioningly. "And what might that be?"

"We're seeing if the food's poisoned dude!" With a naïve smile Reiko took a huge bite from her treat.

I winced slightly from her reckless behaviour whilst also watching in case she showed any signs of poison. After a couple of minutes I breathed a sigh of relief as the red head continued to happily munch on the cupcake. "So what do you know about this café?"

The lucky student turned in his chair to look at me properly, a kind look in his eye. "From what we could find the café is fully stocked with a variety of coffees, teas and treats. It also has ingredients that can be put towards meals such as sandwiches, salads and pastas but that would be about it. Also it will be restocked every so often."

Cocking my head in confusion, I frowned at Tohrus's statement. "How do you know that?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Monokuma told us."

My frown deepened considerably. "Of course he did."

 **Note added: Café restocking**

I politely took my leave from the two relaxed Ultimates and instead wandered over to a store across the square. Fuyu, Yuko and Azusa flitted through the various aisles filled to the brim with books, very much is their respective elements amongst the different sections. I quietly approached Yuko, silently looking over her shoulder as she flicked through a volume of Attack on Titan.

"Hello." The artist jumped in fright, dropping the book which I caught before it could hit the floor. Carefully handing it back to the blonde, smiling apologetically. "Hi there, sorry for startling you I just came to see how your search was going."

The girl smiled back, a faint blush colouring her cheeks as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "That's fine, and everything is going well so far. We found that this bookshop has a hugely varied selection so we won't be getting bored anytime soon." The girl frowned, her black eyes shining with concern. "There is one thing I noticed though, the information section is empty. There is nothing about this town or area."

Yuko lead me to the section she mentioned and gesture to the empty shelves. Which were surprisingly... Dusty?

 **Note added: Missing books**

Examinging the area briefly with Yuko, I found that there was indeed a surprising lack of informative material. _Obviously Monokuma's doing..._

Thanking the blonde for her help I continued my investigation, strolling across the square to a building beside the café which seemed to be a newsagents or convenience store. Pushing the door back with a familiar ding I surveyed the contents of the small shop. Various items were carefully stacked on shelves with thin aisles snaking around the area. Everything from sweets and drinks to sanitary products and basic household goods were on display about the room and only one student was present within the store, a red marker in hand and a map carefully spread before him.

Vechs looked up as I walked over to him, a warm smile on his face. "Hello Ash, just the person I was waiting the see."

I smiled and took the spot beside him. "Hey Vechs, what are you doing?"

He pointed to the map which just so happened to be of Mount Hope. He had carefully marked various spots with red X's. "I'm marking out this map, as you can see I have crossed out all the buildings myself and Rin have checked and have left the rest of the town be. I have also marked the areas where we all woke up according to the 'starting points' part of our map app."

I looked to where he pointed, noticing the blue triangles that sat in and around the town and then within the forest. I placed my finger on the top of the marker which sat on top of the only raised area that was marked. It sat quite a distance from the rest. "I think that might have been me as I remember waking up on top of a hill within the forest."

Vector nodded in acknowledgment, pulling out his own handbook before bringing up the app. "Look, if you press and hold the marks the person's name comes up." He placed his finger on the mark I had pointed out and sure enough my name appeared beside it. "I noticed that the marks were only present within the town, the plain around it and the forest area. I don't know what it means but it might be significant."

 **Note added: Map markers**

Looking around the shop, I gave Vechs a curious look. "Found anything interesting about this shop?"

The technician shook his head. "No, it's just a standard newsagents. There's junk food, magazines, some household products and even some over the counter medicines but not much after that."

I nodded in acknowledgement, pushing off the counter. "Fair enough. Well I'm gonna go see if I can find out anything else."

The long haired boy nodded sharply before turning back to his map. Quietly leaving the shop I walked over to another building across the way. A clothing shop. In it I found Sarau and Fiona browsing the selection whilst Akeno was picking up discarded items. Either returning them to their place or pocketing the smaller items. The closest figure to me was Fiona, but from the distainful look she gave me I decided to keep my distance and instead settled for Sarau. The drag queen gave me a huge smile before plucking a blouse from a rack and holding it against me.

"Sweetheart, your would look positively gorgeous in this blouse! I swear it's to die for!"

A loud snort came from the direction of Fiona, but from Sarau's expression I could tell that he didn't give a damn. "Thanks Sarau but that will have to wait."

The blue eyed boy gave an exaggerated frown, gesturing dramatically as he faked insult. "But Ash! fashion waits for no one!"

Laughing at Sarau's antics briefly, I returned the blouse to its place. "Perhaps, anyway how's your investigation going?"

The shorter boy gave a melodramatic sigh. "Not well hun, this place is lacking in any information to help us with figuring out our situation. There is some nice items and some sowing kits for repairing clothing also the jewellery is kinda cute."

I smiled and nodded. "Well it's a shame there is nothing useful so far, but do keep me posted in case you find anything and thanks for the information."

"Oh you are welcome hun, but I must say after this is all done you must let me give you a makeover! I mean it, your eyes are too beautiful not to be complimented by your outfit!"

I laughed again, thanking the drag queen before quickly exiting the shop before the overzealous boy actually began to dress me up. Surveying the area I approached the last building that bordered the town centre. Unlike it's brethren the front was bright with a neon sign that spelt out the word 'ARCADE' in huge gaudy lettering. Entering the unfamiliar settings I was bombarded by bright lights and loud music as well as intrusive sound effects. It was so loud that my brain became a mess of confused thoughts as my mind tried to process the insane amounts of information.

Glancing about the madness I saw Minato standing in front of a vintage gaming machine, very much in his element as he focused solely on his task. It was the first time I had saw his face light up with life since meeting him. Games are most definitely his escape. As the Gamer stood quietly playing his game, a rather frustrated Takeo stamped about the place, having been thoroughly beaten by a shooting game. The loss was obviously a heavy blow to his pride as he begrudgingly approached me with a weary smile, hoping I hadn't seen his failure.

He shouted over the music, straining to be heard over the loud ambiance. "Hey Ash! You come to investigate here too?!"

I smiled back, deciding not to acknowledge the muscular fisherman's embarrassment. "Yeah! Found anything useful?!"

He shook his head and pointed at the Ultimate Gamer. "I haven't but he's been engrossed in that game since we got here so I don't think he's found anything of use either!"

I nodded with a disappointed frown. "Fair enough! Keep me posted if anything changes!"

The fisherman nodded and gave me a thumbs up before disappearing back into the games, allowing me to escape the head scrambling noise. I quickly walked away from the establishment as a steady headache began to pound against my temple; wandering back out into the town.

Wandering in a westerly direction I stumbled upon two buildings I hadn't seen before and the last four students. Beside the northern building stood Rin and Takyua, both of whom stood as far from eachother as possible whereas to the south stood Ane and Mitsuru conversing between themselves. The buildings themselves were two stories high and were made of rust coloured bricks, the deep red making them stand out from the grey of the town. The northern building hand dark wooden doors and window frames whereas the southern building had the opposite, with bright wooden exits and openings.

Deciding to learn more I approached the boys first only for a chill to rack my spine as I met the knowing gaze of Takuya. Forcing something akin to a smile, but closer to a grimace, I turned to Rin for an escape as the golden eyed ninja jigged to me with excitement.

"Hello Miss Saiki! Welcome to the men's apartments!"

I smiled genuinely at the boy, his upbeat attitude lifting my spirits. "Hey Rin, nice to know we have nice accommodation! For a minute I thought we would be sleeping outside."

His golden eyes lit up as he gestured to the building. "Me and Takuya just checked them out, there is even a lobby and everything! But the lock is electronic so you need a handbook to get in, so a girl can't enter the boys' apartments and vice versa... someone you in... Ya know...?"

 **Note added: Handbook Scanning**

 **Note added: Apartment locks**

I groaned as the shorter guy buried his face into his scarf, his face burning a bright red. "Oh for god's sake! Not again Rin!"

Mumbling out a muffled sorry, Rin buried his face even deeper into the jet black cloth until only the red tips of his ears were visible. Shaking my head in disbelief I walked over to the other girls, finally noticing the plate and buttons present beside the door. The plate was brass with the word 'GIRLS' carved into it, whilst the buttons were each labeled with the names of my female class mates.

Ane looked to me briefly, a knowing glint in her eye as I aapproached. "Took you long enough Miss Archer... So what has Mr Ito done to warrant such cold treatment?"

I frowned at the girl's prying nature and instead stepped forward to test the door, just as a black and white object appeared infront of my feet.

"You guys are really boring, you know that?!"

Jumping back from the bear with a gasp of fright, I raised my foot to boot the offending presence when it jumped from my reach.

"Okay! That's your free one! But from now on I'm gonna lay down some serious rules! And assualting the mayor is one big no, no!"

Panting from fright I stared blankly at the strange stuffed animal. "What?"

Monokuma let out a huge sigh before dramatically pointing a claw at my pocket, a sharp ding sounding as my handbook updated. "Well Miss Saiki if you check your handbook you will now have a list of rules! If any of you break them there will be consequences! Now how about you all play nice and actually get to know eachother?! After all I am a busy bear! See ya later!"

Suddenly, as quickly as he appeared, he was gone. Leaving behind his list of 'rules'.

 **1- Students/Residence may reside only within the town. Trying to leave is foolish**

 **2- "Night time" is from 10 pm to 7 am. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.**

 **3- Sleeping anywhere other than the apartments will be seen as loitering and punished accordingly.**

 **4- With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Mount Hope at your discretion.**

 **5- Violence against Mayor Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras.**

 **6- Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.**

 **7- Additional school regulations may be added if necessary.**

Reading them into myself I paused on rule six, a confused frown darkening my expression. _'Blackened'? What the hell is that?_ Closing down my handbook, I glanced around myself only to see that my fellow Ultimates had gone elsewhere, leaving me on my own within the small courtyard outside of the apartments. _Well... Might as well go off and make some friends... I guess..._

* * *

 **FREE TIME EVENT**

 **Mitsuru Banba- 1**

* * *

Entering the female apartments with a beep of my handbook, I entered the "lobby" of the apartment complex. It was lightly decorated with soft furnishings and cream coloured walls. There seemed to be a set of toilets on this floor as well as a mail area off to one side. A set of stairs sat in the left-hand corner reaching up into the building, beside which stood the frightening, tall figure of Mitsuru Banba; the notorious leader of the Black Guard. Swallowing the hard lump in my throat, I glanced at the pink haired sukeban once again, my hands shaking slightly at the thought of trying to befriend the terrifying girl. _Its now or never Ash.. Let's do this!_

Hardening my resolve I approached the distracted woman as she played with what looked to be a golden pendent which hung from her neck. Clearing my throat politely I kept my distance as the young woman looked up at me.

Her dark blue eyes were cold as she looked me up and down, obviously disinterested in my presence. "What do you want?"

I felt a shudder run through my spine at the sharpness in her voice but I puffed out my chest and gave her a friendly smile. "Well Miss Banba, I was hoping we could get to know eachother, seeing as we are all kinda trapped in this place."

Her eyes narrowed slightly but instead of berating me she pushed herself from the wall. A sparkle of mischief in her eye. "Maybe... Ashida was it?" I nodded at her question, watching carefully as she slowly circled me. "As the Ultimate Archer you must be pretty strong."

Shrugging slightly I looked the girl in the eye, the shine of challenge in her blue iris. "A bit, but it depends on what you mean by strength."

The gang member smiled in amusement, heading for the door. "If you want to talk, then let's spar."

The lump returned as I followed her outside, a cold sweat coating my spine. _This is the day I die._..

The Sukeban removed her trenchcoat before turning back to me. I could see the compact muscles of her arms through her shirt as she raised her fists, ready to fight. From the little fist fighting I knew I also raised my fists, in absolute terror of the woman infront of me, but I couldn't afford to let it show.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded my head, watching the smirk grow on my opponent's face before she suddenly lunged at me.

...

We sparred for a few hours until I was black and blue and panting in exhaustion, Mitsuru however looked as though she hadn't even broken a sweat. I lay defeated on the ground my chest feeling heavy as my laborious breaths pumped my burning lungs. From my position on the ground I watched as the taller girl approached, expecting a kick only to be offered a hand. I happily accepted her assistance, quickly being pulled to my feet as the gang leader also offered me a bottle of water.

Accepting it gratefully, I drank greedily as the woman chuckled quietly. "You aren't the strongest person I've ever fought but you have to be one of the most determined. You have spirit, I respect that."

I smiled, my heart beat gradually slowing as we rested. "Well I am much better behind a bow then my fists, plus my dad always said it doesn't matter how big you are but how determined you are."

The other girl smiled sadly looking away from me. "Good for you... Do you and your dad have a good relationship?" I nodded and sippeded from my bottle. "Must be nice to have parents who support you... Mine fucked off and left me when I was young... The streets taught me everything I would ever need to know."

I frowned at Mitsuru's statement But jumped at the opportunity to learn more about her. "So you were alone?"

The pink haired girl shook her head. "Not always... I had someone... But only for a short time."

She gently touched the pendent once again a sad look on her face, as though the memories hurt her. It made my heart hurt prompting me to play with the charm of my bracelet.

"I know how if feels to lose someone... Did they give you that pendent?"

She looked at me with venemous eyes, glancing at my bracelet. "Did they give you your bracelet?"

It stiffened up slightly before relaxing with a chuckle and a knowing nod. "Touché."

Mitsuru quickly lifted her discarded coat, dusting it off before she began to walk away. Casually looking over her shoulder. "Maybe we will talk about it later, thanks for the sparring match Ash."

With that the Ultimate Sukeban, disappeared into the twisting maze of the town.

I felt as though myself and Mitsuru had bonded a little. Now I was inching to know more about her.

* * *

Feeling dirty and uncomfortable I decided to quickly check out my room. As I re-entered the building I noticed a board which seemed to show a basic map of the complex, showing it's two floors. According to the board my room was number eight and sat at the very end of the hallway above me. Following it's directions I trudged up the stairs in search of my room. Pacing quietly down the corridor I noticed that on each door was a number but also a plate with the resident's name on it.

The doors themselves seemed to be made of the same wood as that of the entrance, with peepholes and mail slots installed in them. Also beside each was a scanner that was very similar to the one at the front door.

Arriving at my door I quickly scanned my handbook. Cautiously opening the door to find an airy and open room with a wonderful view of the lake. To my direct right there was a small kitchen and to my left was the living room, in which there was a camera pointing towards the door. Walking further in I discovered the bathroom beyond the kitchen and beside it was the entrance to my room. Glancing into it quickly, I saw another camera but it wasn't what made me pause. I felt my heart stop as my eyes connected with the object that sat on my bed, my face draining of colour at its presence. With a blood red ribbon attached, I stared at the recurve bow and quiver of arrows with dread as I approached, noticing the small envelope beside it. With trembling hands I lifted the letter, opening it to reveal a note.

 _A gift from the Mayor's office, can't have you missing practise! It's been a while since I saw someone get impaled! Have fun!_

 _Signed Mayor Monokuma xxx_

I violently ripped the note apart, tossing it into the nearby waste paper basket. Looking back to the bow I frowned heavily. _I have to disarm it._..

Lifting the bow with a determined scowl I debraced it quickly, removing the string before dismantling the bow and shoving it under my bed. Next I moved onto the arrows, removing the nocks so they were impossible to shoot, shoving them beside the bow. Lifting the string and nocks, I removed the pillowcase from my bed, stashing the equipment within it. I tied the pillowcase tightly before stuffing it in behind my wardrobe, satisfied that the weapon was officially harmless.

With the threat of my talent being used for murder out of the way I finally relaxed somewhat, wandering into the bathroom and preparing for a much needed shower.

...

After freshening up and bathing my sore muscles, I dressed and returned to the town outside. As I wandered back into the town centre I rubbed my aching muscles. Trying to relieve the tightness and pain, even by a fraction as it seemed my hot shower had done very little. _Mitsuru really did a number on me..._

Walking down the street I spotted another figure sitting outside the café, quietly sipping at a cup of tea. They were unfamiliar, making my stomach flip at the thought of other people being involved in the killing game. Cautiously approaching from behind I looked the new person over. They were female with a blue and white lolita style dress and hat with flowing blue hair that faded into a teal colour. I couldn't tell what height they were when they suddenly turned with a huge smile that I couldn't forget.

"Oh Ash! Hello hun how are you?"

I blinked as I looked into familiar, bright blue eyes, breathing a deep sigh of relief at the sight of the Ultimate Drag Queen. "Oh Sarau, it's you! I thought you were someone else."

The blue haired individual laughed and shook their head in amusement. "Sorry darling, I seem to have that effect on people, also call me Kokoro please."

* * *

 **FREE TIME EVENT**

 **Sarau 'Kokoro' Niseshojo- 1**

* * *

I nodded and calmly took the seat beside 'Kokoro'. Gladly accepting half of his... Unm her? Unfinished cupcake as she drank her tea. When the cupcake was finished my stomach growled aggressively, begging for more and prompting myself and my companion to laugh quietly.

Kokoro stood up and pointed into the café. "Let's get you some proper dinner."

I smiled and joined her, wandering into the small establishment, following the demands of my empty stomach. We gathered together a small amount of ingredients and set to work on making a vegetable pasta and a salad. We cooked together, enjoying eachother's company in the small café kitchen, as we prepared my dinner. We laughed at eachother's bad jokes and learnt more about eachother as we chatted over our preparation.

...

We plated up our food, thankfully we had made enough for two decent sized portions, so we decided to continue our conversation outside

As we tucked into our dinner I reclined back into my chair. "So Sar- I mean Kokoro, what got you into drag?"

The blue haired queen looked to me with a gentle smile, wiping her lips. "Well hun I was introduced to the drag scene at a young age, I used to go see performances quite often and was inspired by the other queens. So after I discovered that I was gay it became my escape, as a queen I can preform and just let go, plus the bully's couldn't follow me there."

Humming in response. "That's what archery was for me as well."

"How did you get into that by the way?"

I shrugged and lent against the table staring off into space. "Well it was purely coincidental, I had been hospital with my mum cuz she was ill and a friend of mine came and picked me up but instead of taking me home we decided I needed to relax. So I went to his and he taught me how to shoot and the rest is history."

The drag queen nodded slowly. "Is she prone to illness?"

I frowned and nodded sadly. "Yeah... But of the mental kind..."

She frowned as well, worry dancing in her eyes when a mischievous smile let up her face. "So... Is he your boyfriend?"

I scoffed at her question, chuckling at the thought. My mood lightening instantly. "Oh hell no, he's just a good friend, like an older brother."

Kokoro laughed with me but leaned in closer, raising an eyebrow. "Well then, how about your run in with Yuko? You definitely seemed to like her, also do you have a preference or...?"

My face began to burn at her questions, becoming flustered and uncomfortable. "Umm, well, uh... Yuko is nice but I was more worried about bumping into her at the time, uh and umm, I don't really have a preference... I uh just like people with good personalities."

"Oh so are you bisexual?"

"Actually I prefer the term pansexual but I don't mind."

Kokoro smiled, humming in interest. "Well that's nice to know... So, so far who have you found the most attractive?"

My cheeks began to burn again when the sound of bells interrupted our awkward interview. However I felt as though we had bonded, even if Kokoro learned more about me then I did about her.

* * *

Ding dong, bing bong.

"The is an announcement from the Mayor's office, ladies and gentlemen please make your way to the northern edge of the town I have a surprise for you all!"

Shoveling the last of our dinner into our mouths, Kokoro and myself began to quickly walked towards the edge of town. As we walked I could feel my stomach flip uncomfortably, the dread in my mind making me feel sick. _This should be good..._

* * *

 _A/N- So thats our first free time events done and also we learnt some more about the town :)_

 _Notes so far-_

 _Locked Town Hall_

 _Café Restocking_

 _Missing Books_

 _Map Markers_

 _Handbook scanning_

 _Apartment Locks_

 _Well guys thats us this time. Remember to review and vote on the next free times! And I will see you guys in the next one! :D_


	8. Chapter 6- Daily Life continues

_Ladies and gents welcome back! Today our FTE participants are!..._

 _Shirane and Reiko/Shinji!_

 _Let's see what they have to say :) Won't lie Reiko was randomly chosen from a group of tied votes, so I guess this will be her opportunity to make a good impression ;)_

 _Once again thank you so much for your messages and reviews and also for answering my questions :) I will be asking more every so often so I hope you guys are okay with that, as it helps me decide things and figure out that to do with who :) Also thanks for all the questions about Ash, I will aim to try and answer them all as soon as possible in the coming chapters :3_

 _Also to anyone who dislikes cursing just to tell you that as things get crazier so will the language! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!_

 _I also apologise for this being late once again and also if this chapter is kinda strange or not as detailed as usual, I'm suffering from a horrible cold atm, so if it's weird at some points you will know why. Cough syrup is awesome XD_

 _Also this is a slightly shorter chapter but I'll make up for it in the next one :)_

 _As always I only own my OC and this particular setting whereas all the other OCs/characters belong to their respective owners! The concept isn't mine however so please support the games and anime!_

 _Also give the OCs' owners some love too!_

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

Daily Life: Restrictions and free time

* * *

We rushed through the cool streets with a wave of relief, finally the heat had been lowered but sweat still beaded on my brow. My heart hammered against my ribs at the thought of what that demented bear had in store, my anxiety levels sky rocketing. Power walking through the town my stress induced headache reawakened and sent shooting pains through my temples. I squinted against the pain, trying to continue on but the thumping became too much.

I rubbed at the pain, pausing for a moment in the shade of a building whilst Kokoro looked to me in concern. "Are you okay Ashida?"

Giving her a distracted glance I nodded but winced at the white hot spike that sent black spots into my vision. "Yeah I'm fine, just prone to bad headaches."

The drag queen gave me a worried look. "Is it a condition?"

Pursing my lips as I tried to think, I decided it was better left for later. "No... I'm just no good at processing stress."

A disbelieving scowl darkened Kokoro's bright blue eyes, but she chose not to pursue the subject.

After the spots left my vision, we continued onwards passing by marked doors and windows. The blood red paint still wet on the barricades. The sight was quite eerie, somehow melding well with the overall look of the town, but I forced the thought from my mind as we reached the northern outskirts. As we stepped towards the plains we couldn't see anyone before us, the grasses were silent and the border was empty, the errieness returning to the back of my mind. The darkening surroundings made the atmosphere that more frightening.

"Seems we are first here..."

Kokoro hummed in response, scanning the horizon as I gazed towards the town. A sudden rustling came from my right, making me spin thowards the plain once again.

My blue wigged companion jumped, following my gaze as she cursed under her breath. "-Jesus! What the hell was that?"

I shook my head, looking around puzzled. We took cautious steps into the tall grass trying to find the source of the movement. Using my foot to move the blades of green aside, I saw a black shadow move farther into the undergrowth, obviously trying to avoid our gaze.

"Let's leave it be, I don't trust the long grass." I took Kokoro by the shoulder and lead her back slowly, retreating to the safety of the town's border.

"Hey Ash! Seems you beat us here!"

We turned to see the rest of our classmates approaching from the town with Takeo striding forward, a friendly smile on his face. Giving a small smile back, I gave a welcoming wave to the crowd when Yuko gave a perplexed gasp; looking to Kokoro with impressed eyes.

"Wait... Sarau? You look amazing, I had no idea it was you!"

The drag queen's cheeks burned red as she shyly tucked her wishes behind her ear. Chuffed with the genuine compliment.

"What is it with young people and cross dressing?! I swear it's just a cliché now, it just makes you a target! After all it wouldn't be the first time~!"

Flinching from the sing song tone of the voice, I jumped back from the black and white demon dear; preparing to boot the sudden intruder. With a twisted grin and angry glare the bear looked directly at me. His left eye/gash glowed the hue of lava, a pit of anger framed within his plush futures. His chest puffed out in challenge as silver claws protruded through the cloth of his paws.

He pointed his claws at me threateningly, a dark look on his twisted face. "Come now Miss Saiki! Remember the rules! You touch me and I'll have to punish you and you won't like that! Upupupupu..."

His robotic giggle went straight through me, making me shiver and withdraw, taking a cautious step back. Monokuma's permanent smile seemed to grow larger as he retracted his claws and his eye dulled to it's normal shade.

"Good girl~! Now let's get right to it!"

The bear clapped his paws together a joyful quality to his demeanor as we stood in worried silence.

The teddy turned around and held his paws up. "Come to me! Let's meet our new friends!"

The from the long grass came the sounds of crunching and mechanical wearing from every direction. Our entire group started to step backward, all of us on high alert as black and white figure stood from the darkness. I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach at the sight as mechanical wolves and leopards immerged from the undergrowth, crouched and ready to attack. The mechanical beasts were like Monokuma, half black and white but minus the plush fur. What should have been muscles were pistons and what should have been flesh was thick metal plates that slid across eachother with a sickening screech. However their gash like eye wasn't red like Monokuma's, instead the canines had electric blue whereas the felines had piercing green.

 _That bear could kill us all at this moment if he wanted..._

His robotic giggle pierced through the heavy silence as he jumped onto the back of the nearest wolf; leaning on it's head casually. "Well citizens of Mount Hope, I must introduce you to the monobeasts! Hmmm déjavu... Anyway they are the guardians of this area. They are my hands of retribution! They are also the ones who will stop you if you try to leave the confines of the town."

A grumble of confusion ran through our group before Ane stepped forward a determined frown on her brow. "Wait, so you have essentially placed us under house arrest within the town?"

The monochrome bear shrugged. "Pretty much."

Takeo took an aggressive step forward, only to jump back as one of the leopards swiped at him. "Shit-! Wait you can't do that!"

Monokuma chuckled. "As mayor of course I can, plus if you disagree you will have to deal with my monobeasts."

Animalistic growls and hisses immenated from the throats of the beasts making us all jump in fright.

 **Note added: Monobeasts**

"Oh and also I hope you all enjoyed your presents, but I must admit it saddened me to see you throw them out, distroy them and take them apart. It hurts guys... Well I've got more presents for you maybe you'll appreciate them more." His eyes burrowed into me as he glared at us all with a pout, fake disappointment in his blank eyes. "Well that's all, enjoy your stay!"

The wolf suddenly took off, parting our crowd as Monokuma and his beast disappeared into the town whilst the other mechanical beings slunk back into the grass.

 **Note added: Monokuma's gifts**

Silence prevailed in our group as we stood in the darkening surroundings of the plain, with the street lights being the only thing that illuminated our pasty expressions. My hands were clenched tightly, my knuckles pure white as anger coursed through my veins. My skin itched in aggravation, my frustration mirrored by my fellow students.

"Stupid fucking plush piece of shit."

Kokoro looked to me in shock at my language, my words dripping with venom. Before I could say anymore the ringing of the speakers interrupted my thoughts.

Ding dong, bing bong.

"This is an announcement from the Mayor's office, it is now ten pm and officially nighttime. The café, convenience store and arcade are now closed. Sweet dreams everyone!"

Unwilling to fight the bear, we all trudged back to the apartments. The events of that day had drained us all, leaving us white faced and blank eyed. I couldn't shake my doom and gloom thoughts as I lay in bed, the weight of our situation weighing heavily on my mind as I stared at my ceiling. Everything ran through my head over and over, even as I closed my eyes and fought my subconscious in the land of dreams.

* * *

 **The next morning...**

* * *

Ding dong, bing bong.

"This is an announcement from the Mayor's office, it is now seven am, rise and shine! It is time to greet another beautiful morning!"

Stirring from my restless sleep, I turned towards the window. Bright light filtering through the thin curtains. The sight would have been beautiful if it hadn't have been for that damn bear, as my mind registered the connotations of its voice. My head lulled about my pillow, unwilling to rise when an a set of objects caught my eye. They sat innocently at the foot of my bed, a blood red ribbon garnishing them so they stood starkly against my white sheets. With a growl of frustration I sat up and glanced at the arm guard and finger tab. Kicking the archery equipment from my bed aggressively, making sure the camera caught the act. Flopping back to my pillow, I turned to return to the darkness of sleep when the gentle knocking of a visitor roused me. Groaning I pulled myself from my rest, quickly changing as I went to answer the door.

Recklessly yanking the door open I was greeted by the startled grey face of Azusa. Her eyes had heavy bags underneath them, making her look ill alongside her pale complexion. If anything she looked worse than I felt.

"Good morning Ash, Ane asked me to come and tell you that we are all meeting at the café in five minutes."

I nodded before reaching out to the writer. Taking her shoulder gently whilst preventing her from leaving I frowned with worry, looking her up and down. "Are you okay Azu? You don't look so good, are you feeling well? If you are ill I could get you something."

The novelist shook her head, forcing a painful smile which split her face unconvincingly. "I'm fine, just didn't sleep well last night."

Scanning her expression thoroughly I saw that she wasn't lying but in her gaze there was a hint of reluctance; a spark of fear deep in her iris. I made a mental note to ask her about it later but decided to leave her be for now.

"Okay... Well do you want to head to the café together? I'm ready to go, it just might be nice to have the company."

The quiet girl nodded a genuine smile overshadowing her fake one. "That sounds nice."

We strolled through the usually quiet hallways, noticing that none of the other girls were about. _They must have left earlier..._

"So... Did you get a... 'gift' from Monokuma?"

Nodding with hesitation, I glanced to Azu, unsure whether or not to tell her of my gifts... I didn't want to frighten her...

"So did I... He has a really sick sense of humour..."

Her face twisted with fear and anxiety, her eyes beginning to water due to whatever that asshole bear had given her. I took another note to ask her about her gifts as we turned the corner towards the café. About the front sat the other students who had dragged the tables together creating one large table. Arriving quietly myself and Azu took the last two, settling between Vector and Mitsuru who both gazed at everyone with hard eyes.

"Now that everyone is here we might as well start this small meeting." I glanced to the voice. Watching as Ane once again took the lead, a serious frown creasing her brow. "First off I think we should discuss our current situation. What do you think Monokuma wishes to do by restricting us to the town when we have already seen sections of the Ogami Undergrowth?"

A heavy silence settled as the group began to ponder the thought. My mind whirred but my mind kept landing on one conclusion.

"He has cornered us."

The forensics specialist looked at me. "Care to elaborate Miss Saiki?"

I cleared my throat and leaned forward, leaning against my elbows and I gazed around the group. "It's a ploy to use our instincts against us, he's forced us into a corner where flight isn't an option, so instead he wants us to fight... To kill eachother to gain a taste of freedom. Not only that, now that we have the threat of the monobeasts he's probably hoping we will get desperate."

Rin looked to me, a slight blush on his cheeks. "What do you mean desperate?"

I cringed as Takeo once again disciplined the ninja with a sharp smack to the back of the head. "He's hoping either we kill eachother or even ourselves by trying to go against the monobeasts."

The scarf wearing boy nodded solemnly, rubbing his head from the fisherman's strike.

"What about this whole 'gift' business? I received a makeup kit this morning and a new pair of boots yesterday so why were you guys destroying them? You're just going to antagonise whoever the hell is behind the stupid bear."

The group hummed in agreement looking between themselves as they pondered Fiona's statement. But myself, Takeo, Rin, Mitsuru and Azu stayed silent.

Ane made eye contact with me a questioning quality to her gaze. "Yes, now why would you be destroying Monokuma's 'gifts' Ashida?"

The group looked to me questioningly. My face lost colour at the sudden distrust in everyon's eyes. "Well, um you see..."

"She received a weapon."

My eyes snapped to Takuya who was staring off into the distance as though he hadn't even spoken

"Is this true Ash?"

I glanced to Mitsuru, who looked to me with neutral eyes, nothing about her expression suggesting any anger or upset which calmed my anxiety somewhat.

I nodded, refusing to meet the eyes of the others. " , I.I did... I got a bow and arrows... I also got a note as well that said I shouldn't lose time 'practicing' but I took the bow and the arrows apart and hid them in my room. Then this morning I got some safety equipment but I haven't dealt with them yet."

Ane scofted at my explanation. "Well it would make sense that he would gift the tools of your talent, and maybe you aren't as stupid as you look."

I growled at her statement, taking offence at her jab. "You don't have to be academic to be intelligent Shirane, maybe you should learn that."

The black haired girl smirked at me when a loud voice broke the tension. "Can we just eat already! Your bitch fight is fun to watch and all but I'm starving!"

We chuckled at Reiko's outburst and agreed to disagree, leaving our talk for our breakfast. To avoid potential poisoning, under Ane's direction we all cooked our own meals or cooked in groups of two or more. I joined my group of friends, going Tohru, Azu, Sarau and Yuko in the activity. The event helped distract us from the doom of the killing game, making us feel at ease... Well at least until Ane opened her mouth again.

"I propose that we make these morning meetings a common thing between us, so that we can gather and discuss information. After all, for us to survive we must communicate."

We all voiced are agreement, feeling as though these breakfast meet ups had brought us all closer together.

"if I might add something..."

We all glanced to Vector who flicked her long hair from his face, a gentle smile on his lips. "I suggest we have a rule of our own on top of Monokuma's. I suggest that for security reasons we do not leave the apartment complexes at night."

At his suggestions a wave of recognition and déjavu crashed through me. _I've heard that before..._

"I understand that we can't enforce it but with those monobeasts about its safe to say that we are at a significant disadvantage at night against them. Who knows Monokuma may have them just hunt us down when he feels like it."

A grumble of agreement rumbled through my fellow students as a general consensus was reached.

The long haired boy smiled, standing up quickly. "Well now that, that is agreed I will take my leave."

He suddenly strode away, encouraging the others to do the same until only myself and Ane were left.

 _Here goes nothing..._

* * *

 **FREE TIME EVENT**

 **Shirane 'Ane' Ogihara- 1**

* * *

I approached the highly intelligent girl hesitantly. I really didn't want to interact with the headstrong scientist but there was no point in leaving our relationship within the realm of distrust. She had begun collecting the cutlery from breakfast, making sure to separate the different pairs. She wore her rubber gloves and had a bowl of flour with what looked to be a paint brush in her hand. She also wore her mask, gently brushing the flour onto the handles of every knife and fork.

I watched her as she worked, brushing the silver wear before sketching what she saw into a small reporter's book which sat beside her.

My curiosity got the better of me as I finally spoke up. "What on earth are you doing?"

Ane looked up a knowing look in her gaze. "Recording the fingerprints of every member of our class, would you like to assist me?"

I frowned but agreed as the forensics specialist shoved the bowl and brush into my hands. "Gently dust the pairs of utensils and then I'll draw them up. Nice and simple."

...

We worked together to document each of the students unique set of prints. From Mitsuru to Akeno we got them all, until it came to me. Ane pulled out a small blue jar. The seal was wax with a plain label marking it as calligraphy ink. Ane also produced a small sponge and a dropper. Setting the sponge beaide her book which sat with the page marked 'Ashida Saiki' open, Ane broke the seal and took the dropper, filling it with ink which she dropped onto the sponge. Wetting it enough that it transfered ink when touched.

"Give me your fingers."

I rose my eyebrow at the bossy girl. "And why should I do that?"

Ane looked to me challengingly. "Because if I have prints of your fingers I might be able to prove your innocence in the future."

Confusion lit up my features but I decided to relent, allowing Ane to accurately print each of my digits before handing me a damp cloth to clean my hands with.

"Your prints are quite unique. Unlike everyone else the amount of callouses and scars have made a significant difference to yours, it's quite fascinating."

I shrugged. "Well you read me once so you know why they are like that. Or at least you think you do."

Ane gave a laugh. "Of course I know, your skin is like a novel of your life and I just so happen to be once of the few that is fluent in the language of flesh."

I huffed and took a seat, watching as she added notes to every page. Listing characteristics of every print, listing information about every person as revealed by their skin. "So how did you get into this?"

The girl looked to me over her glasses. "Hmm? Care to elaborate?"

"How did you discover that this was your talent, forensics?"

The girl hummed in thought, stroking her chin in contemplation. "Well my mother is a doctor and as a child I often indulged in her medical journals..."

For the first time I saw the girl stumble, her face falling into something akin to sadness. "Also... I lost someone dear to me... I was fourteen and I investigated, using the knowledge I had learned... I helped capture the bastard who did it... That's how I got my talent..."

Gently I placed my hand in Ane's sympathy filling my gaze. "I'm sorry for your loss, you were very brave to do that... I know I couldn't, blood freaks me out too much."

The forensics specialist withdrew her hand, gathering her equipment as she gathered her thoughts. "Yes, well the past is the past, no point in dwelling on it. I will keep this book on me at all times, that way if we ever need them they will be there."

She strode away not even looking back as she left me at the table, the cutlery still sitting before me.

 **Note added: Ane's book**

I felt as though understood Ane better. _Seems there is a heart under that indifferent shell..._

* * *

I tidied away the utensils before deciding to wander through the various by streets and sidewalks caught in my own mind. This entire situation was rigged for disaster and yet so far we were holding onto our humanity... So far.

The bright streets awoke my senses. My sinuses opened so that I could breath, my eyes brightened, all hints of exhaustion gone and my muscles relaxed, the dull ache of tension sliding off my shoulders. Continuing my stroll I decided to head towards the eastern edge, heading to the shoreline of the lake. As buildings made way for grasses I looked out over the bright blue water, breathing in the cool freshness it provided. My quiet was cut short as the grasses began to move, a sign of something's presence.

Talking a step back towards the town I decided not to push my luck. _Who knows what those monobeasts would do if I put a toe over the border..._

Retreating into the town once more I made my way back to the town centre in search of someone to hang out with but also to have lunch. After satisfying my appetite I stepped from the café and Surveyed the square. I didn't see many of my fellow students, it was pretty quiet when I saw Reiko enter beside the arcade.

 _Better then no one... I guess..._

* * *

 **FREE TIME EVENT**

 **Reiko Tosa/Shinji Matsuhima- 1**

* * *

I approached the strange girl quietly, a gentle smile on my face. "Hey Re- umm Shinji, whats up?"

The Ultimate 'Bro' turned to me with a wide smile, leaning awkwardly against the wall, attempting something along the lines of flirtation. "Hey gorgeous, what can I do for you?"

I chuckled at her awkward compliment. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out?"

The redhead's eyes lit up in excitement as she gestured to the arcade. "Sure! Why don't we play some games?"

Nodding at her suggestion we headed into the noise of the arcade. My ears began ringing loudly due to the intrusive music and sounds effects but I ignored it, allowing the shorter girl to guide me through the madness.

"So what do you want to play first?!"

I shrugged unsure of my surroundings. "I have no idea! I've never been to an arcade before!"

Reiko looked at me with pure shook, unable to believe the statement that had come from my mouth. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?! You've never been to an arcade before?!"

Nodding calmly I glanced around the building trying to get my bearings. "Yeah! I never had the money to go! Plus I was working all the time!"

The Opportunist looked to me in despair, grabbing my shoulders asthough she needed to support herself. "Well then Ash, I am going to teach you the ways of the arcade and it is going to be epic!"

...

For the next several hours Reiko taught me how to play the various games. From table football to the stacker machines and even some of the retro games. She instructed me in them all until we reached a shooting game which was listed as 'Buck Hunter's.

Reiko bouced over to the machine, lifting the plastic shotgun which she handed to me. "Now this game is really simple, on the screen there will be various animals that you have to shoot but they bucks are your main target. To kill them quickly aim for the head and the heart. As an archer this should be easy for you!"

I nodded, a serious look taking over my face as I shouldered the shotgun and started the game. I waited as it began, showing of the rules and the environment before placing me in a forest. Waiting patiently I watched as the virtual buck got closer, munching on fake grass. When it got within range I took my shot and nailed it. A perfect headshot which dropped it instantly.

Reiko jumped around in excitement as I continued through the levels. Scoring bucks, bonus animals and more before it came to the final level.

Shoot thirty bucks in twenty five seconds.

Focused purely on the game I waited until it gave the signal, opening fire upon the virtual deer when the game suddenly froze.

"What the hell?!"

Myself and my companion swore at the machine, hitting it and pressing it's buttons when the game over flashed up.

"That was complete bullshit!"

I nodded in frustration, setting the shotgun on the machine as I inputted my name. I sat at second place under the leader 'MONO'.

Taking our leave we both settled outside of the building. Chilling on the steps as we munched on the sweets we had won inside.

"I must admit, that was lots of fun Reiko. Thanks for teaching me."

The redhead smiled with a mouth full of chocolate. "Noe pwobwem!"

The girl suddenly choked on her treat after realising what name I had used. "Wait! Where did you here that name?"

I pulling out my handbook I put it to her profile, sliding it over to her. "When we first met that was the profile that came up for you."

She studied the profile carefully her eyes widening at what it said. "So you already knew I'm not Shinji...?"

I nodded quietly, watching as she handed my handbook back. "I'll admit Shinji seems interesting but I'm more interested in getting to know Reiko Tosa."

The confused figure gently pulled off her cap, running her fingers through the fringe. "So I never had to act that way... Damn..." Watching various emotions flash across her face, I observed as she settled on her infamous 'Bro grin'. Standing up with a cocky demeanor. "Well maybe not but I think I'm gonna stick with it for now. Today was fun Ash and maybe we can talk about ME some other time."

I nodded as the Ultimate Opportunist continued with her façade, strutting off into the town.

I felt as though we had bonded somewhat... But I still didn't understand her...

* * *

Looking up towards the sky I watched as the dome grew gradually darker until Monokuma's hateful voice sounded across the town.

"This is an announcement from the Mayor's office, it is now ten pm and officially nighttime. The café, convenience store and arcade are now closed. Sweet dreams everyone!"

 _Well... Time flies when you're having fun..._

* * *

 _A /N- second FTEs done :) gotta love them :3_

 _Notes so far-_

 _Monobeasts_

 _Monokuma's gifts_

 _Ane's book_

 _Well guys thats us this time. Remember to review and vote on the next free times! And I will see you guys in the next one! :D_


	9. Author's chapter 3

**Author's Chapter**

 **Sketches**

* * *

Hey guys, just a little update in regards to the sketches. As you can see the cover art is that of Ash and that's the kind of style I'll be drawing the characters in. I hope you guys like it and I will be be putting up the picture soon.

The links will be put on my profile and will lead you to my new deviantart account. If you guys want I can email a copy to you if you want :)

Also if you guys would leave me a review to confirm who is willing to have their character drawn it would be really help me out :)

* * *

See you in the next one!

Kristin-Arrow-Lundy


	10. Chapter 7- Of Daily Life and Motives

_Ladies and gents welcome back! Sorry that I am sooooo late, life has been utterly insane recently! Between prepping for uni and near nervous breakdowns at work due to never-ending shifts; I have been thoroughly distracted but its here!_

 _Anyway today our FTE participants are!..._

 _Yuko and Rintarou!_

 _First_ _off thank you so much for giving me permission to draw you characters! I needed to finalise who was okay with it before I even thought about posting as I'm a stickler for copyright ^.^; alongside them I have also been doing some basic sketches of how I imagine Mount Hope to be. I will be posting a mix of colour and sketch so I hope you enjoy them :)_

 _As always I only own my OC and this particular setting whereas all the other OCs/characters belong to their respective owners! The concept isn't mine however so please support the games and anime!_

 _Also give the OCs' owners some love too!_

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

Daily Life: Motives and free time

* * *

The next morning began as the one before, with the grating voice of our captor rousing me cruelly from my relatively pieceful slumber.

Ding dong, bing bong.

"This is an announcement from the Mayor's office, it is now seven am, rise and shine! It is time to greet another beautiful morning!"

Groaning and growling my out of bed; I stumbled, drunk with exhaustion, into my small kitchen. My eyes were blurred with sleep as I searched the contents of the cupboards, pulling out a kettle and a box of tea. Carefully I prepared a cup of tea to waken me, standing numbly as I bumped and stumbled about on my mission for refreshment. Finally pouring the comforting beverage I settled myself on the soft cream couch of the sitting room. l watched the coloured dome, imagining the sunrise as the warm liquid soothed my itchy throat; the heat reviving my tingling nerves. As I sat, my mind now fully concious, a niggling feeling awoke in the back of my mind... As though I had forgotten about something... Or that something was missing...

Tap tap.

Jumping from my trance I realised that there was a soft tapping at the front door. _Must be Azu coming to get me for breakfast... Is that what I forgot?_

I didn't allow myself to ponder the thought long as I rushed to dress and answer the door. I opened it only find the tall figure of Mitsuru, a small smile on his lips with her coat across her arm almost as though she had just lifted it. Her menacing aura wasn't as prominant as before, allowing me to relax from my surprise; The friendly atmosphere allowed my heart to slow somewhat around the gang leader, our small alliance warming it as the thought came to my mind.

I smiled at the taller girl, stepping out and locking my door. "Good morning Mitsuru, thank you for coming to get me, I had forgotten about breakfast."

The pink haired girl shrugged in acknowledgement. "No problem, when I didn't see you leave with the others I assumed you must have forgotten."

I chuckled. "Yeah I'm quite prone to it unfortunately... I must admit I assumed Azu would collect me."

The Black Guard founded rose a thin eyebrow at my statement. "Oh and why did you expect her?"

I shrigged, heading down the hall with her keeping step. "Well she came for me yesterday, so I just assumed..."

Mitsuru hummed in response as we exited the building. Entering the courtyard she pointed ahead to the figures of Yuko and Azusa as they walked ahead, chatting quietly between themselves. "It seems she has found a friend in Yuko."

I smiled at the sight. It was nice to see the skittish girl finding familiarity in the artist. We headed towards the café in a companionable silence, quietly tailing the writer duo as we joined the rest of the group. Unlike the day before there were definite groups forming as we began forming friendships. The sight removed a heavy weight from my shoulders as I observed everyone. _Like hell we would hurt our friends! Suck it Monokuma!_

I quietly cheered to myself as I joined one of the groups, settling myself by Takeo and Rin as they chatted about their talents. Comparing there respective skills. Trailing off into my subconscious, I started off into space. Thinking of my parents and my siblings. Was Mum still in hospital? Was Dad coping alright without me? Did Yuri get that job at the café? Did-

I was drawn from my imaginings as Takeo snapped his fingers before me; the loud pop making me jump.

"Hey Ash are you there?"

Snapping my gaze to the muddy eyed fisherman, I nodded my head sharply. "Yeah, sorry Takeo, I was in my own head. What's up?"

The muscular man chuckled lightly as a dark look came to his eyes. "It's okay, also call me Take, Rin started it and I quite like it. Anyway I was wondering have you noticed anything strange about Azu?"

I rose an eyebrow in question. "Umm not particularly, why? Is something wrong?"

The boy shrugged looking over to the aforementioned girl. Her head was drooping worryingly and her eyes had deep, dark bags below them. "She doesn't look well I was just wondering if she was maybe sick or something?"

I frowned at the sight, worry boiling in my stomach. "I have no idea man, I'll find out later... I'll let you know what I find out okay?"

The tanned man nodded, concern deep in his eyes when a loud whistle called everyone's attention to the front and the profile of Ane. The forensics specialist had a look of contemplation on her face, a shadow of worry in her eyes as she gazed at us.

"Good morning everyone. Chatting and bonding is wonderful, but as these 'breakfast meetings' now seem to have become a thing, so to begin I must ask... Has anyone discovered anything strange about this day?"

Our group lulled into a deep silence as we thought.

"Something is missing..."

All eyes turned to the previously silent figure of Takuya. The medium seemed to be staring off into the distance when his magnetic eyes connected with mine. A shiver rocketed down my spine at the sudden eye contact, prompting me to break our gaze.

"There was no gift this morning. Monokuma has broke his word."

A hum of realisation traveled through the group as heated words passed from one side of the table to the other. My niggling feeling grew, my head nodding as I looked back to Takuya in agreement.

"He's right... Which means..." All of my companions faced me as I spoke, a shudder passing through us. "That bear is up to something..."

"I'm up to what?"

We all jumped, spinning to find the fuzzy 'mayor' standing beside me, a paw pressed to his chin in thought.

"Whatcha talkin' 'bout guys? Now do tell! I can't stand secrets!"

My heart raced at the mechanical bear's sudden appearance. He was so close I could hear the whirring of gears and the exhausts of pistons within his plush body. The noises combined with the movement sent shocks of worry to my gut. _If he's a machine... Who knows what's under his fur... He could self destruct and kill us all right now for all we know..._

The bear waddled nonchalantly up the table, looking to us all curiously. "Come on guys! I wanna know your theories too!"

There was a frustrated grunt from a separate table, as Fiona walked calmly to the side of the tables. "You said we would get a new present everyday right?"

The bear nodded. "Correct-o-mondo!"

The designer planted her perfectly manicured hand on her hips, scoffing at the plush, far from impressed. "Well then where is today's gift?"

The bear tilted his head cluelessly. "Huh?"

My frustration boiled within my gut, a fire exploding in my chest at the stupid plush's façade. Fiona leant in and stared the bear in the eye.

"Are you really that dense? As the mastermind of this dome I would have expected more but I see that you are just a disappointment."

The bear clutched it's chest dramatically, stumbling back my way. "I am hurt madam! I am a grade A mayor and am very proud of my intelligent programming."

Unable to hold back I reached forward and grabbed the bear in anger, dragging it to my face. "How about we cut the bullshit and you just tell us what you are planning you little shit?!"

The machine began to shake in my grip when a beeping began violently. Staring at it in confusion, I heard Ane shouting hysterically. "Throw it it's going to blow!"

Digesting her words, I quickly threw the bear only for it to explode in mid air. My eyes widened in shock when I was suddenly tackled, burning pain radiating from my left forearm as I was pinned by the hard body of a feline monobeast. Everything burst into chaos as the others jumped to their feet, some retreated behind tables and chairs for protection whilst others approached to help. Rin, Takeo and Mitsuru reaching for my mechanical assailant when a sharp voice cut the panic of the situation.

"Touch the beast and she dies!"

Screaming in agony, I struggled against the jaws of the beast, only partially registering Monokuma's threat to the others as a new one seemed to appear. Punching the robot I aimed for the jaw connection as I was dragged painfully about the floor by the leopard. I could feel my shirt tearing as the cobble gorged my back, whilst the robotic feline tore at my forearm. I planted my feet against its stomach and with a final punch I unlocked it's jaw, flinging the cat from me and into the fountain. It scrambled to it's feet as I shuffled back, trying to reach the others as I cradled my injured arm.

The monobeast stalked forward towards me, only stopping when Monokuma raised his paw. "I did warn you MIss Saiki, but you didn't listen... It's a shame really."

I turned to the bear, bloodloss making me rock precariously. "Fuck you Monokuma!"

Monokuma gasped in mock offense. "Such language! And you kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh, by the way, how is the lunatic?"

My eyesight was coloured red at his statement, making me lunge for him only for Mitsuru to hold me back.

His cackle sounded, making my ears ring against the shrill sound. "Upupupupupupupupu! Now, now we wouldn't want a repeat now would we? Also to answer you question, I have your gifts ready! Meet me in front of the town hall at noon and I will personally give you them! Anyway I must be going!"

Back flipping like something from an anime, the demented being landed on his minion and rode the feline from the scene; leaving me to bleed before my fellow students. As he disappeared, the others rushed to my side. MItsuru and Takeo lifted me from the ground and set me in a chair, both white faced as Ane and Rin tended to my and Yuko gathered food and water for me, trying to make me as comfortable as possible whilst the others kept their distance, unable to look at my injured form.

Suddenly Akeno came to stand by me. "You know if you had life and health insurance, it might help in this kind of situation! You know incase of hospital bills and sudden death."

Looking to the salesman in my dizzy state I snorted at his suggestion; giggling when Mitsuru dragged him from my side. Yuko took his place and began to feed me my breakfast as Ane and Rin finished treating me with the first aid kit that they had found in the café.

Ane began wrapping a wide bandage around my middle whilst Rin wrapped my arm. I hissed as they worked, my wounds burning due to the pressure. "Take it easy with the bandages! You'll suffocate me in a minute!"

Ane popped up behind me and shrugged. "Sorry, I'm used to working with the dead. After all, all the living do is complain!"

Rin chuckled at her comeback, finishing his work before he retreated. "Well that is breakfast ruined."

A murmur rumbled through the students, guilt blooming in my gut. "Sorry guys, I ruined your morning."

Yuko set a hand on my shoulder with a gentle smile. "It's okay Ash, it was Monokuma's fault, not yours."

Fiona snorted at Yuko's statement. "I beg to differ."

My heart dropped at her words as Yuko rubbed my shoulder supportively.

Tohru cleared his throat. "Well for anyone who wants to join me I will be eating breakfast inside."

The majority of the group agreed, shuffling into the establishment when Tohru turned to Yuko. "What about you Yuko? You coming?"

Yuko smiled but shook her head. "I'm gonna stay and help out Ash thanks."

The luckster nodded, glancing my way. "Take care of yourself Ash."

I nodded to him as everyone dispersed, leaving me and Yuko alone.

* * *

 **FREE TIME EVENT**

 **Yuko Himaru- 1**

* * *

The artist carefully tended to me in my broken state. Cutting my food and and helping me to feed myself as I rocked within my chair. My mind was fuzzy from blood loss but the food began to settle me. However as I looked to Yuko she seemed to begin to glow, an almost angelic aura about her. Yep, it was definitely the bloodloss. She reached forward to wipe my face when I took her by the wrist, stopping her movement. She looked to me in confusion as I examined her hand, stilling swaying.

"You have nice hands... Like my mum... She likes art too... It's her outlet..."

Yuko continued to sit, quietly letting me look at her hand in fascination; gently tracing her callouses, the marks of an artist. I took my free hand and compared my rough skin to that of her soft digits, realising just how different our hands were. Archer and artist. Sportswoman and Writer. Destroyer and creator.

"Your mother... You must be very close to her."

Looking to the blonde haired girl, I gently released her hand. "Yeah, she's my best friend, I don't know what I would do without her... Or what she would do without me..."

The girl gently smiled, an understanding gleam in her eye. "I'm like that with my mum too... Monokuma said something about her... Being a 'lunatic'?... What did he mean by that?"

I flinched at her wounds looking away, quickly. "She isn't a lunatic..."

The girl pulled back, a look of regret on her face. "Oh, sorry I didn't mean-"

"She is just I'll... She is mentally ill, but she isn't crazy... Life just gets to her because of her depression, that's all."

The Manga artist slowly nodded in realisation, once again placing her hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, I don't doubt you."

I relaxed slightly and looked back to the girl slowly. A gentle smile was on her lips but behind it her eyes sparkled with sadness, a vulnerability behind her dark eyes. She removed her hand from me, but the warmth of her fingers seemed to linger.

"My mum is ill too... Just physically rather than mentally... She's been in the hospital for a long time... I'm assuming it's the same for yours?"

I nodded in silence, unwilling to break her train of thought.

"My mum, has been there for a long time... Her illness is incurable... I just wish I was with her now, rather than stuck in this hell hole."

I nodded again, sadness building in my gut as my empathy kicked in. Saying nothing I watched as Tohru immerged from the café, carrying a plate which he set infront of Yuko.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting, just made this incase you were hungry Yuko."

The girl smiled, the growling of a stomach answering it for her.

We all chuckled at the sound, the heavy atmosphere lifting. "I'll take that as a yes! Well I hope you guys have a good breakfast, I'll see you later!"

We smiled and waved to the blue haired boy as he retreated before tucking into our respective meals.

...

We sat in a comfortable silence as we finished our food. The atmosphere for the first time since we arrived seemed genuinely relaxed with just Yuko and I sitting and enjoying eachother's company. But as time began to pass, it became increasingly difficult for me to keep my eyes open as my battered body screamed for sleep. Yuko seemed to see my plight as she quickly gathered our plates and excused herself so that she could return them. As I waited my entire body just seemed to slow down, my movements becoming sluggish as my neck refused to hold my head up.

Nodding in exhaustion, I heard footsteps approach, forcing my gaze up to see Yuko with Tohru behind her.

"Okay Ash, we're going to take you to your apartment to rest, you really need it."

I tried to respond by my mouth refused to obey. Nodding drunkenly I tried to stand only to be caught by the luckster as my legs gave way. Careful to avoid my injuries, my temporary carers gently placed my arms across their shoulders, patiently guiding me towards the apartments. However with every step the darkness kept lulling me into sleep until I finally accepted it, resting my weary cheek on Yuko's shoulder.

We had bonded and before my mind was lost to sleep I gave Yuko a silent promise... We would see our mums again... No matter what.

* * *

My mind was blank. There was no noise, no colour, only the comforting black of my subconsciou. The peace was incredible. My mind relished in the serenity. It was such a precious commodity that my restful sleep latched onto it as my body attempted to heal. But as with all things it wasn't to last.

My sleep was broken by snippets of raised voices and poisonous tongues which dragged me from my sanctuary.

"-To mend her wounds, as I am the only one qualified for the job. So I don't need your presence getting in my way!"

"Well I am here to protect Ashida under Yuko's suggestion! After all with Monokuma's 'gift' we can't be too careful!"

I gently rose from, what I discovered to be, my bed and quietly crept to my door as best as my body could. My steps were shakey and uncertain but I arrived silently, peering out to my living space to see Ane and Mitsuru squaring off beside the kitchen counter. Both of them looked visually shaken, with pure white complexions and haunted eyes that shone with worry and distrust.

"You are right Miss Banba, but surely I should be more worried about YOU hurting Miss Saiki rather than the opposite scenario."

Mitsuru's gaze darkened as she towered over the cocky forensic scientist, a darkness in her gaze that sent shivers down my spine. "Miss Ogihara... I will gladly make you regret the day you were born and have you suffer for your words, but I am also here to protect an ally and loyalty comes before revenge in my personal code. So consider yourself lucky that I respect Ash enough not to lay a finger on you within her private space, else I would gladly smear you across the floor."

The tension between the girls continued to build as their stare off continued, making me concerned that they would actually kill eachother in my sitting room. Unable to watch their exchange any longer, I pushed my door aside and stumbled into view, glancing between the rivals cautiously.

"I would rather you guys didn't fight in my apartment... how are you in here anyway?"

Shirane glanced at me, concern in her usually condescending gaze, and produced a handbook which I assumed was mine. A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over me, causing me to sway. Mitsuru stepped up, wrapping an arm around me to steady me before guiding me to my couch.

As I settled in my seat, Ane returned my handbook whilst Mitsuru went off to brew some tea.

Glancing to my handbook, I saw that the clock read 12:13pm. I had missed the 'gift' the others had mentioned. As I looked to the black haired scientist once more, MItsuru appeared with the tea, quietly pouring us each a cup. "So what was this 'gift' you mentioned?.. What did Monokuma do?"

The girls' faces dropped once more as they looked away. Neither answered when the pink haired gang leader produced a thick brown envelope from her trenchcoat, setting it quietly infront of me. The object had my name on it and was still fully sealed with a wax mark of Monokuma staring back at me. Taking it with shaky hands I broke the seal and dumped the contents into my palm to see a collection of polaroid photos. My stomach flipped in shock as I gazed upon the images of my family members.

There they were, my parents and my two younger siblings, smiling at the camera as though everything was perfectly normal. I flicked through the collection, skimming the images which ranged from my mother in hospital to my father in work, and my brother Yuri in that café to my sister Kohana studying in our kitchen. They seemed so happy... But suddenly they changed and everything became a lot darker. None of my family members were present in the last photos but now it showed the destroyed remnants of where they had once been.

My hand shook uncontrollably as I slammed the collection onto the coffee table, turning my wild eyes to my companions as they jumped. "Is this all he gave you?!"

Before they could answer the aforementioned bear appeared behind the sofa. Peering at us innocently. "Nope! After all what is a motive without instructions?!"

My entire body shook in uncontrolled rage as I stared the plush bear down. "What the fuck have you done to them you sick bastard?!"

Monokuma giggled. A knowing look in his eye. "Well you see Miss Saiki, you will have to kill someone to find out! After all I'm getting bored of all this comradery! Oh, and just so you know we can get to them. Dead or alive, every loved one you have is accessible... So weigh your options, it could be their only chance~! Upupupupu- Ahahahahaha!"

With his message received and his giggle playing him out, the monochrome plush once again disappeared, leaving myself, Mitsuru and Ane to our thoughts.

... _What did he mean by 'we'?..._

* * *

After that, to distract ourselves Ane, redressed my wounds and even fashioned me a makeshift sling whilst Mitsuru watched on, a dark look in her blue eyes. _Her special person... That's probably who Monokuma is holding against her..._

Unlike my pink haired bodyguard, I had no idea who Ane's ransom was... I desperately wanted to ask but I knew it would only harm the situation, so I held my tongue.

Eventually my visitors left, allowing me time to rest. But as always it didn't last as the loud ringing of a door bell interrupted my peace. Slipping my arm into it's sling and carefully making my way to the bottom floor of the complex; I opened the front door to find a pale, scarf wearing visitor who jumped at my presence, raising his comforting garment to hide his embarrassment. I greeted my visitor with a smile, kinda glad that he had arrived so that I could thank him for his earlier bravery.

"Hey Rin, it's nice to see you! Also thank you for helping me out earlier, you did a good job with the first aid on my arm." I lifted the limb, to emphasise my point, grinning in thanks.

The ninja retreated further into his scarf at the compliment, playing with the fraying cloth of his neck wear. "Thanks Ash, it was no problem, I'm just sorry that I couldn't step in sooner as Monokuma had threatened your life if we did... But I should have done something..."

I reached forward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "There was nothing you could do, I'm just glad you could help me afterwards."

Rin nodded, his golden eyes lighting up as his confidence returned. "Actually while we're on the subject, that's why I am here, I came by to ask how you are getting on and how your wounds feel."

"They are good, Ane just checked them out and was saying that they should be okay in a couple of days as most of them were just superficial. My forearm might need stitches though, at least I'll have some cool scars!"

My companion snorted at my statement when his eyes widened. "Oh wait did I interrupt your rest?! I'm sorry, I'll head now so you can get some sleep."

I shook my head and joined Rin outside of the girls apartment, locking the door tight. "No its fine! I actually planned to go for a walk about the place. Stretch my legs and such, do you want to join me?"

The long haired boy look to me wide eyed, his cheeks becoming red. "W. ! As in us alone together?! But what about the motive?!"

I shrugged, my mind going dark from the reminder, but instead I decided to push it aside. Instead I, once again, adopted my smile. "I trust you Rin. Plus I wouldn't go down without a fight."

He chuckled at my words but accepted my offer, following me through the back streets.

* * *

 **FREE TIME EVENT**

 **Rintarou Quarta- 1**

* * *

For the first ten minutes we walked in a tense silence; Unspoken distrust haunting our steps as we wandered. We walked aide by side, stealing questioning glances as we moved until I had finally had enough. I stopped beside a lamppost which sat within the open space of the main street. Partially to relax our atmosphere, partially for its safety but mostly so that I could rest.

Leaning heavily on the metal structure I slid down, settling on the floor with a tired sigh. Rin joined me, sitting at arm's length, crossed legged in front of me.

Lying back on the post I smiled to my companion, deciding to diffuse the situation. "So, Rin, how did you get into the whole ninja thing?"

The golden eyed boy glanced my way before diverting his gaze. "I was born in a village where jujitsu and ninjitsu were practised. Skills passed on from generation to generation, it's tradition."

I nodde, watching his face as I pride further. "Sounds like something out of Naruto, did your entire village practise it?"

Rin snorted at my comparison, his form relaxing gently. "I guess you could say that but no, not everyone did. Everyone knows the basics but not everyone practises it further."

I nodded in understanding, leaning my chin on my fist in interest. "Yeah, I get that, it's like my friends. Most of them know the basics. But only me and Sato continued to competition level."

He hummed in agreement, his eyes lighting up with fire at the mention of my friend. "Sato huh? Is he your boyfriend... You know the kind of person you do 'stuff' with?..."

The ninja hid his face once more as I dealt a light slap to his shoulder, laughing at his lewd comment. "No! He's just a friend and training buddy! He's closer to my brother then my boyfriend!"

Rin's eyes lit up with a positive sparkle as I explained but I refused to let his mind wander. "So how do you use your skills? Do you compete too?"

The martial artist shook his head with a snort. "Definitely not! My skills are for practical use not tournaments! I use them to protect my village and it's people, that's my role."

I watched as a flash of pride passed through his amber irises, his relaxed demeanour encouraging a smile from me. With a wicked grin I leant forward, mischief in my eyes.

"Well then, how about you? Anyone special back at the village?"

The boy looked to me with dark eyes, a dangerous glint shining from them as he tightly grabbed a hold of his scarf and pressed it firmly to his lips. "Once... They she was taken away from me... And now with that fucking bear..."

My grin was gone as realisation hit my gut. "Oh god... She's your ransom... Cuz he said..."

"He would get to them, dead or alive... I won't let him touch her!" Rin aggressively slammed his fist into the cobbled floor, real fury radiating from him.

The violent act made me jump, shocking the boy from his trance as he cradled his sore hand. "I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me."

I shook my head, touching his forearm in support. "It's fine Rin, it's a stressful time... He has targeted my loved ones as well... My family... So I know how you feel, but we can't give in to his demands or wants, we have to be stronger than him so that we can get out of here and go home."

Rin looked to me with teary eyes, standing abruptly and turning away with a sharp nod. "I understand... But I must protect her."

And with that Rintarou sprinted away, out of sight within the blink of an eye. Our bonding was done, but it had left me cold with worry. I could tell something bad was going to happen... My intuition dumping ice into my gut.

* * *

Wandering back to the apartments I realised how late it had become. It was much too late to pursue a meal or to find a friend to talk to so instead I decided to retire, reaching the door when the bells sounded.

Bing bong, ding dong.

"This is an announcement from the Mayor's office. It is now ten pm and is now officially nighttime. The café, arcade and convenience store are now closed. I hope you enjoyed my gift today and I hope you will give my words some thought. After all there is much at stake and you never know what else you will lose~! Upupupupu! Goodnight!"

My body shook in anger at his words but I resigned myself to unattainable sleep, with his words running about in my head and my gut still frozen in fear.

* * *

 _A/N- Third FTEs done and Monokuma's first motive bomb dropped... So who will snap first? Well that's for me to know and you to find out! :)_

 _Well guys thats us this time. Remember to review! And I will see you guys in the next one! :D_


	11. Chapter 8- When Bridges Collapse

_Ladies and gents welcome back! First of I am so sooooo sorry that this took sooooo long, I am worst at following deadlines, especially my own as life kinda carrys me away in a wave of bullshittery and procrastination. Only pro is that said procrastination has kinda helped me plan out the rest of this story properly rather than the senseless diving in I had sort of began with. As such I may do some tweaking of chapters and editing of character traits for some of the cast that I think didn't effectively represent their individual personalities._

 _In other news the drawings are on their way, I've been busy with doing costume stuff for Comic, as well as a community play I'm a part of whilst also dealing with a broken toe. So everything has kinda taken a backseat. Not only that, I work in a cinema and it's been absolute madness recently especially with releases like Suicide Squad... At least this is finally here! But also it is a chapter without FTEs... Which can only mean one thing~!_

 _As always I only own my OC and this particular setting whereas all the other OCs/characters belong to their respective owners! The concept isn't mine however so please support the games and anime!_

 _Also give the OCs' owners some love too!_

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Daily Life: When Bridges Collapse

* * *

I was awoken from my short stint of rest by my aching stomach, lack of sleep clouding my mind as I twisted in my bed. My room was still dark as I roused myself, stretching and groaning as I battled the seductive grip of sleep. Guiding myself from my warm covers I wandered into my kitchen, preparing a much needed cup of tea.

The fragrant liquid helped to wake my senses as I sipped, settled comfortably on my couch as I watched the peaceful town through my window. The mute colours of the partially lit dome were like a greyscaled sunrise, dull without it's pastels but somehow still relaxing to watch regardless of the threats that hung over my head. I sat on long after I finished my tea, mesmerized by the sight even as the bells of the morning announcement sounded. But my mind was elsewhere and I paid the bear no mind, still captured by our artificial sky. In my mind's eye I could image my family, looking to a similar sight... Hopefully somewhere safe. My mind refused to even entertain the possibilty of an ugly alternative but still the words of that god damn bear niggled in the subconcious of my mind.

 _Dead or alive, every loved one you have is accessible..._

My stomach flipped and my moutgh became dry at the memories of those toxic words... Corrosive and vile... A way to eat at our connections and resolve.

"I can't let that happen."

My resolve only grew at the cancerous thoughts gifted by Monokuma, so much so that my mind moved onto something my time as an archer had taught me; mental clearing. I pushed the black and white monstrosity from my brain and instead visualised my shot sequence, imaging the feel of my bow in my hand, the click of nock on string and the calming rush of loosing the perfect arrow. I released a tense breath I hadn't realised I had been holding and slipped into the familiar calm of a cleared mind. My trance was peaceful but was soon interrupted by a sharp tapping at my door. My numb legs wobbled about feebly as I walked to answer my door, still partially in my day dreaming state as I tended to the entrance. No sooner had I disengaged the lock then had Ane and... Fiona? Stomped into my front room, settling at opposite ends of the space.

"Good morning to you too..."

The fashion designer gave a snobby huff, pulling out a thick drawing book and a scarily sharp pencil, ignoring my existence as Shirane approached me and instructed me to settle myself on my couch. The forensic scientist undressed my wounds and carefully treated them, washing them down with warm water and a salty smelling liquid. Shirane dabbed the concoction onto my back making me recoil as sharp spikes of pain ran through my spine.

"FUCK! What the hell was that?!"

The black haired girl scoffed at me before settling a firm hand on my shoulder, holding me in place so that she could finish my back. "Hot water and salt. It will sterilize the wounds, now quit moving!"

"So you literally just put SALT in my wounds?!"

Ane pressed the cloth against my shoulder, applying more force then required with an inpatient growl. "Yes, it's called saline solution, now shut up!"

"SHIT! Fuck! Okay, okay! I'm shutting up!" I squealed due to the sudden burning sensation.

Squirming against Ane's hands, I. Would hear light chuckles flit from my visitors as they took pleasure from my pain. _Sadistic assholes..._

I tried my best to follow my "nurse's" instructions but failed to stop my jumping. Thankfully she quickly finished my back and my arm was easily treated due to my duller nerves from thousands of hits from my bow. As Ane wrapped my torso, I wrapped my forearm trying, and failing, to tie off the ends of the bandage. I looked to Fiona, helplessly making eye contact with the bored designer.

"Umm, excuse me Fiona... Could you help me tie off this bandage? I can't do it on my own..."

The brunette rolled her deep blue eyes, slamming her book against my kitchen counter top in frustration. She strode over with a snobbishness that could rival any aristocrat, but she assisted me anyway, snapping the material against my skin as she secured it tightly.

"There." The girl rose to her feet sharply, turning to return to her seat.

Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her cherry red jacket to stop her, meeting her icy eyes cautiously. "Wait, Fiona I think we have got off on the wrong foot somewhere. Why don't we start over? Maybe even be friends?"

The designer's eyes narrowed dangerously before yanking her jacket from my grip. Brushing it off as though my touch had tainted it. "First off never lay your filthy hands on me ever again and also I don't need the friendship of a brainless jock with little to no taste."

A sharp shock lit up my spine at her harsh words, alighting my gut but I held back my temper. Biting my tongue as acidic words filled my mouth, I instead looked to her with curiosity. "Okay, that's fine, at least answer a question for me... Why are you here?"

Fiona's indifferent expression dropped to one of genuine intrigue. "Care to elaborate?"

"If you are so disinterested in my existence, then why are you here? Why isn't Mitsuru?"

The brown haired girl scoffed, crossing her arms defensively at my questions. "I was asked by Mitsuru and Ane to be here. Turns out they don't get along so they asked me to be the middle party here for your "safety". Being close to neither of them nor yourself makes me impartial it seems."

With that the well dressed young woman returned to her previous location, ignoring myself and Ane as the latter finished my bandages. The forensic specialist assisted me with my black polo shirt before helping to tie my sling, standing quickly when she was done.

"Right, that should be you for now. If you experience any pain tell me but for now you shouldn't need more treatment and should be able to assist yourself. Just be careful when you wash as you don't what to damage the new skin."

I nodded and sloppily gave a mock salute with my good hand. "Yes Ma'am! Now shall we head to breakfast?"

The black haired girl nodded and quietly assisted me as I struggled to pull myself from the soft plush couch. Leading the way, so that she could leave quickly, Fiona pulled the door open and strode down the hallway without so much as a glance behind her, leaving myself and Ane to quietly shuffle from my room. Our travels were filled with a companionable silence, it was comfortable but I could tell that Ane wasn't in the mood to speak. Her previous interaction with me sprung to mind, her sudden drop of her defenses having brought a thin veil of awkwardness to our relationship but I knew it wouldn't last. I don't have many friends and I knew, even in our current situation, I refuse to lose my chance at continuing to strengthen my bonds with all my new acquaintances. With my mind made up we arrived at the cafe as usual to the sight of my fellow students quietly sitting to their breakfasts, a tension and heavy silence hanging in the air.

The silence was so thick that it was smothering, like a thick smog that poisoned the atmosphere.

I cleared my throat as I approached, breaking the quiet as the others looked to me. Some greeted me with smiles and others with disinterest, but my appearance seemed to break the tension somewhat as those around me broke their quiet and started to quietly converse. As I scanned the crowd that one gaze managed to connect with mine as it had so frequently, grey eyes piercing straight through me. Takuya seemed almost melancholic as he held my gaze, a timid smile on his lips which made my heart hurt as guilt sprung to my mind. _Better start with him..._

Taking a deep breath I approached the saddened medium, sitting cautiously beside him, an uncomfortable weight on my chest as he silently offered me a plate of toast.

I grimaced as I accepted the bread, munching quietly as he ate his own. My chest felt heavier and heavier until I felt as though I was being crushed, every breath hurt until I finally gave in turning to the boy with apologetic eyes. "Takuya I'm so sorry, I've been avoiding you for no reason and I feel bad for not even trying to get to know you... I will admit I was freaked out when we first met but if you're willing I'd like to try and understand you better."

The purple haired boy just quietly nodded continuing to chew on his toast. I released a heavy breath, the pressure on my chest lifting as I opened myself to the cautious boy.

"He really does forgive you, you know."

Every hair on my body stood up at his words, a shiver wracking my body. "How do you know?"

"He told me... He knows that you blame yourself and he would like you to stop."

I looked over at the grey eyed boy my expression hardening. "It's not that easy... You obviously know what happened..."

"I only get flashes... But I understand what happened."

I snapped my head away, tears threatening my eyes. "Please... For my sanity, keep it to yourself and I'll try for... Boe... Tell him that I always have him in my thoughts."

Takuya smiled gently. "I promise and don't worry, he knows."

Polishing off my toast I patted the boy's shoulder and stood, needing to escape my guilt. But as I walked away I could feel the lifting of a burden from my shoulders, it felt good to know that someone knew... It meant I didn't have to shoulder it alone.

* * *

Once again I wandered the streets, but instead of heading to the lake I went in the opposite direction, towards the forest where it all began. The twists and turns of the streets seemed to calm me as I lost myself to the greys of the builds, my mind wandering as though it was acting alongside my body. It buzzed with memories, both warm and cold, happy and painful until it stopped and had me frowning deeply. Although my wandering had been peaceful it became frustrating as a thought came to mind... _There hadn't been a gift today... Did that mean he was going to leave us be?_

My mind hoped but my heart worried... No, my heart knew better, he was up to something.

Before I could muse upon my doubts a sharp pain came from the nape of my neck, throwing my step as I stumbled, reaching to the pain. My hand brushed with something prickily and metalic. Pulling the object I saw what I recognised as a dart just as the dizziness began, nausea fogging my mind before I fell back only just registering the pain in my back and a sinister giggle as the darkness overtook me.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey boys and girls!"

Startling awake to the taste of rubber in my mouth and the sharp stabs of pain in my back, I sat up to see myself in a pile with the others in the middle of the town square. My poor arm was pinned under the muscular torso of Takeo who jumped away as I cried out in agony, clutching my injury protectively.

"Oh shit Ash! I'm so sorry!"

"What the actual fuck is going on?!"

"What the-?!"

As the other students roused the air exploded into a chorus of confusion and anger as we all tried to stand up, only to tangle ourselves further. I scrambled from the pile and shakily stood as the others followed suit. The others started to help eachother up but as Takeo tried to help up Azusa the writer yelped as though she had been struck jumping away at the boy's touch, only upsetting the fisherman further as he glanced between me and Azu in distress. I looked to the girl in confusion but she just looked away, a look of fear in her expression when the manic voice of our captor rang through the area only scaring her further.

"Ah nothing funnier than half drugged teens trying to figure out what the hell is going on! Upupupu!"

We all turned to face the bear who stood where he had on our first meeting, looking to us in amusement.

"Oh and don't worry I won't punish you for "loitering", it would be unfair considering the fact that I was the one who put you to sleep."

We looked about eachother in worry, when I noticed something I had previously never seen. I stared at the boy in confusion when he looked to me, his gaze perplexed.

"Ash, are you okay?"

I shook my head and pointed to my neck in confusion. "Umm I should be asking you the same question..."

The young man tilted his head and reached for his throat only to pull his hand away with a start. Rin yelped loudly trying to bury his chin in his shirt as he searched the floor in a panic. "FUCK! NO! Where is my scarf?!"

The others looked to Rin in terror before also searching themselves only to cry out in shock and fear.

"No! where is it?!"

"Who the fuck took it?!

"WHY?!"

My stomach dropped at the reaction of my friends. Mitsuru looked like she could explode at any moment as she held her hand around where her necklace had been, whilst Azusa was in tears as she wrapped her arms around herself now in an unfamiliar white t-shirt instead of her coveted shirt. Feeling numb I reached for my wrist, feeling the lack of my charm bracelet leaving my skin feeling naked. Tears of rage welled in my eyes as I snapped to Monokuma who just smiled smugly as the rest still panicked at the disappearance of their precious possessions.

"You sick bastard, what is wrong with you?!"

He shrugged innocently, his sickening grin still plastered to his plush face. "The clock is ticking Miss Saiki, which of your "friends" will strike first?"

Before I could react, he disappeared before my eyes in a literal puff of smoke, my stomach dropping as he did. Feeling deflated and worried I turned to my friends who all looked to be in various stages of anger and desperation. My chest hurt at the sight of their distrustful gazes but before I could speak up one of the others beat me to the punch.

"Now, now why is everyone so upset? Surely there is something you guys need more then mere trinkets? I'm sure I could get something sorted!"

Before I could look to the source of the voice, the sound of flesh meeting flesh resounded through out the square and everyone sprang into a flurry as I watched Takeo and Rin try to hold back the infuriated leader of the Black Guard as she tried to throw herself at the now downed Akeno, who was clutching a bloodied nose. I threw myself between the two as Mitsuru began to spit insults at the terrified salesmanher, blue eyes full of fury.

"JUST A TRINKET?! THAT WAS ALL I HAD TO REMEMBER HER BY YOU INSENSITIVE SHIT!"

I placed my good hand on the Sukeban's shoulder and shook her slightly. "Mitsuru! Stop! This is what he wants! Don't you see?! Monokuma wants you to hurt him! This isn't right!"

The pink haired girl looked to me coldly, her eyes wild with icy fire. "I don't care Ash." She jerked her arms from the grip of the boys and pointed to Akeno who was being tended to by Ane. "Just keep him the fuck away from me."

With her ultimatum made, the dangerous girl strode away leaving everyone shaken, especially the boy on the floor. The bruised merchant looked to me with steaming eyes that seemed to have changed to a natural grey colour. I noticed what looked to be a blue contact on the boy's cheek which he brushed off as he looked to me thankfully, his usual chipper attitude gone.

"Thank you for protecting me Miss Saiki."

Shaking my head I offered my hand to the well dressed boy, pulling him up from his place on the floor. "Don't mention it, we can't give into that bear no matter what, just get yourself sorted."

He nodded as he was lead away by Tohru into the cafe on Ane's instruction. The specialist looked to me with worry, her gaze dark. "He's got my notebook Ash."

I looked to her, clenching my jaw in anger. "Of course he does... It stacks things against his wants... It makes the "game" unfair."

The dark haired girl nodded seriously. "Yeah... Let's just hope that no one breaks."

I hummed gravely as everyone began to disperse, leaving me alone in the square. Left to my own thoughts and fears. I tried my best to hang onto what little positivity I had left but as I steered myself towards the apartments I could feel my grip slipping as my doubt clouded my thoughts and a stone of fear plummeted into my gut. _He has us cornered... It's only a matter of time._

* * *

When I arrived back at the apartment block, I gave a tired sigh and swiped in only to hear the sounds of pitiful sniffling coming from the small seating area. Turning my gaze to the corner of the foyer I saw a mess of long hair, in an oversized white tshirt curled up tightly on the couch. My heart broke at the sight of the shivering novelist as Azu resigned herself to whatever emotions the loss of her shirt had caused.

I approached quietly and cautiously as though my friend was an injured animal, gently placing my hand on her shoulder, making her jump fearfully.

"Easy Azu, it's just me... Are you okay?"

The long haired girl shook her head, revealing the extent of her decline as she revealed her face. Her eyes where puffy and red and ringed by deep black bags that almost looked like bruises. Her sickly pale complexion made her look so much older than she was and the sunken quality of her sick had me questioning whether or not she was really eating at meal times. She seemed so much worse than my last interaction with her and my worry aroused a feeling of protective worry in me as I looked her over.

"You don't look good Azu, I know things are stressful and Monokuma's confiscation of your shirt is sick but you look really ill? Have you been sleeping? Eating? You look as though you haven't slept in months!"

Asus looked away, avoiding my eyes as she refused to speak, instead she looked to her lap as she picked at her nails.

I gave a frustrated sigh and held my hand out to my first friend, pulling her off the couch and towards the door. "We are gonna go eat and you are gonna explain to me what's up, we can't let you get sick or-"

As I opened the door we were greeted by the sight of Take standing with his hand raised to ring the doorbell and a strange netting dropped over his arm. He gave a startled grunt and glanced between us as Azu hid behind me, much to the fisherman's obvious disappointment.

Clearing my throat I greeted the dark haired boy calmly. "Take, what brings you to the apartments?"

The muddy eyed boy gulped, glancing at Azu again before offering the strange object in his arms. "I came to apologise... To Azusa for earlier... I didn't mean to scare you and also for hurting your arm... I'm really, really sorry for that."

I nodded and looked to the net expectantly

He cleared his throat and turned to look at my companion, gently gesturing to the net. "Also I came to give you this Azusa... I figured you were tired because your bed was uncomfortable so I put together a hammock for you... It's not much but I always found that they were a lot more comfortable when I was out at sea, it's like getting a hug..."

Azu shifted behind me, unsure of what to make of the boy's gift so I stepped forward and accepted it for her. "Thanks Take, I'm sure it will help."

The man of the sea gave a sharp nod, glancing once more to the novelist apologetically before taking his leave. Turning back to my timid friend, I smirked slightly, placing her hammock beside the door inside the apartment block.

"Seems you have an admirer."

The sickly girl just looked to me questioningly as we began our travels to the cafe in search of sustenance. We remained in a companionable silence, quietly traversing the narrow streets. From the darkening dome I could tell it was getting close to dinner time as it seemed Monokuma had kept us asleep over the course of lunchtime leaving a dull ache in my belly that was echoed by the gargling of Azu's gut.

I smiled at my friend about to make a jestful comment when a blood curdling cry shattered our peace. My heart began to race as the blood drained from my face and my heart began to plummet. Looking to Azu in terror we ran in the direction of the cry, Azusa becoming paler as we went only to come upon something we would never forget.

My stomach flipped so suddenly that I had to turn to empty what little contents were within my digestive tract. Azusa had dropped, passing out from a mix of shock and low blood sugars at the sight nestled so gruesomely in that little alley. Sarau knelt leaning against the brick wall of the opening, shaking hands clasped over his mouth as he cried, shaking uncontrollably at what he had discovered.

My body was numb and after my heaving but before I could even begin to comprehend the scene before me my thoughts were destroyed by the chiming of bells and the grating tone of the "mayor's" voice as he confirmed what I once thought was the impossible.

Bing bong, ding dong.

"Ahem this is an announcement from the Mayor's office, a body has been discovered! Finally ladies and gentlemen a murder has been committed... Let the fun begin!"

* * *

 _A/N- Oh no, who is our first victim?! Was it panic induced or an accident or was it carefully planned?! Will they find the murderer before someone else is hurt? Place your bets people! There is a 1/15 chance of you guessing the murderer correctly... And you never know... There might be a prize for the winner ;)_

 _As always remember to review! And I will see you guys in the next one! :D_


	12. Author's chapter 4

**Author's Chapter**

 **Of uni and chapters  
**

* * *

Hey guys, sorry that I haven't updated like I wanted to but I've only just moved into my uni accommodation and things have been insane! Guess that's what I get for going into a BA Scenography and Theatre Design course after having a gap year!

I should hopefully get the next chapter out relatively soon but until then feel free to shout at me for my lack of updates!

* * *

As always I'll see you in the next one!

Kristin-Arrow-Lundy


	13. Chapter 9- Where it begins

_Well ladies and gents, welcome to the first of our Deadly Life cycles. I must admit I have been simultaneously looking forward to and dreading this moment, firstly as although it's what you are all here for its also a really difficult thing to decide and plan for. I'll be honest I planned the deaths of eight different characters for the first case but this one felt like the winner but it also breaks my little heart as I have grown extremely attached to your characters. Secondly I really don't want to let you guys down or upset people with my choices but it kinda comes with the territory._

 _It's good to be back and although there has been two motives technically, I think it suits my version of Monokuma in this one. Very impatient and wanting to get the ball rolling! Also in regards to patience I am thankful for yours and as usual I am so so sorry for taking so long :( Also I was serious, if you ever feel like shouting at me for a chapter, feel free! ^.^  
_

 _But anyway! On with the show!_

 _As always I only own my OC and this particular setting whereas all the other OCs/characters belong to their respective owners! The concept isn't mine however so please support the games and anime!_

 _Also give the OCs' owners some love too!_

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

Deadly Life: Where it begins

* * *

Bing bong, ding dong.

"Ahem this is an announcement from the Mayor's office, a body has been discovered! Finally ladies and gentlemen a murder has been committed... Let the fun begin!"

My body quivered at the maniac's words, sweat slicking my skin as my brain refused to comprehend the sight before me. "No... It can't be true... This isn't real..."

Sarau continued to sob pitifully, heavy heaves of breath shaking his frail frame. My heart cried out to comfort my friend and Azu who lay out cold on the floor but my body was frozen, unwilling to move in its dream-like state. My senses were dulled and slow, as though I was underwater, drowning in the rusty, salt smell of the red fluid that covered the floor. My eyes had began to water, partially against the smell and also from the sight when a hand clasped my shoulder and pulled me from my daze.

"Ash? Are you okay?"

I pulled my eyes from the remains to the concerned eyes of Mitsuru who held me up with her strong grip. All I could do was shake my head as I began to slide to my knees, supported by the Sukeban. I settled beside Sarau who was cuddled up in a jacket, as provided by Vector as he and Tohru attended to Azusa. His face was buried from view, his shoulders shaking as he sat in silence while the others gradually began to arrive at the scene. I watched as Ane strode to the body whilst the others milled about with troubled expressions, the gravity of the situation slowly sinking in, until HE turned up.

"Upupupupupupupu! Finally~! I knew you guys had it in you! I was getting impatient! Who knew that I could throw two motives into one and get a death done sooooo soon?! Well really I just planned for the possession bit to add to the last motive but still!" Not a soul spoke up among us as the monochrome bear danced about the crime scene squealing in glee. "Seriously! I was expecting at least a lull before the kill but no! We have a murder on the same day!"

He opened his arms wide and looked to us with his huge creepy grin and a dramatic air to him. "Well I guess you can take an example from him! Sometimes it's best to keep your mouth shut! **As here lies Akeno Kayano! The Ultimate Salesman!** "

As those cruel words tumbled from his mechanical mouth, everything seemed to disintegrate into chaos as reality struck and everyone descended into shock. We stood still, staring at Akeno... Or what was left of him... A slumped body in a filthy alley, surrounded by debris soaked in a pool of blood... The Ultimate Salesman. His head crushed and bloody, skull visible and caked in gore as he lay lent up against the wall, motionless but somehow still smiling. Yes, always smiling. My heart ached knowing that I hadn't known him well and that he was now gone... And with such a brutal end...

"Oh! Before I forget!" A chorus of chimes rung through the tense air, harmony within the discord. "I have sent you a present~! Monokuma file number one!"

 **New file added: Monokuma file no 1: Kayano, Akeno.**

My chest heaved as I quickly glanced at the report style program which held all the information we could need about the demise of the energetic boy.

"Inside is a full report on the culling of mister loudmouth! From time of death to cause! It's all there, but there is room to add info! So get a snooping and I will see you guys at the trial!"

The bear turned to leave but was stopped as the once quiet Vector spoke up. "What do you mean by trial?"

The bear snickered and pirouetted on his toes, twirling around to face us. "Oh don't you know? We are going to have a class trial! You didn't think that it was really that easy to get away with murder did you?! When someone finally pops their murderer cherry there is an investigation and then a class trial! In the class trial you innocent untainted souls must discover the 'blackened'! Get it right and the murderer will be punished! Get it wrong... And the rest of you will be punished and they get away, both with murder and from Mount Hope! Good luck suckers!"

Cackling madly the robot disappeared, leaving us stunned with the prospect of punishment, a threat that made my arm burn whilst also being acutely aware of the gruesome scene of Akeno's demise. My eyes wondered about the spectacle, trying my best to memorize the site in detail before I reluctantly looked at the file on my tablet.

 **Name of victim: Akeno Kayano**

 **Talent: Salesman**

 **Time of death: Approximately 5:45pm**

 **Cause of death: Blunt force trauma to the back of the head.**

 **Details: There is only one significant injury; the strike to the left hand side of the crown of the skull which was the fatal blow.** ** **The head wound is almost rectangular in shape and the extent of the damage shows that the victim died instantly. The trauma is so severe that if would have been caused by a significant force.****

 **There is also evidence of a recent minor altercation on the body. The fight left bruising on his back and scrapes on his shoulders and hands, however there is only trace amounts of blood suggesting the victim died shortly after the initial scuffle.**

Some of the tension in my body melted off at the digital words, my chest lightening at the knowledge that the young man didn't suffer in his last moments. But still my throat dried and my blood ran cold as an icy revelation made itself known. _This was murder... One of us killed him._

* * *

 **Death of a Salesman**

 **Investigation 1: Part 1**

* * *

Everyone looked between themselves, unsure of how to conduct themselves, until Ane took the lead as usual.

"Right, this is now a crime scene so we need to treat it as such. We will need to have as little contact with the area as possible so as not to contaminate the evidence. We also need to post a guard to protect the evidence."

We glanced about at each other until Takeo and Mitsuru stepped forward simultaneously, looking to each other suspiciously.

Ane smirked. "Good, you two can watch each other just in case one or the other tries anything! Now everyone scatter and get to work!"

Like a spell had been broken the others gradually trickled from the scene, until only a handful remained. I still sat beside the frozen Sarau who refused to interact with me whilst Tohru remained with the unconscious Azusa. Ane was quietly examining our victim whilst Mitsuru and Takeo milled about uncomfortably, keeping their gazes far from the deceased boy. Finally surfacing from the drowning feeling of shock, I carefully pulled myself from the floor, the Sukeban stepping forward to assist me when I stumbled. Once again vertical I pushed myself to walk, towards the sickening display, my mind focused on the bear's words. I refuse to let anyone die.

Ane looked to me as I approached, gagging as the putrid smell of death hit me in the back of the throat. The girl chuckled at me looking back to the body. "I've made a quick assessment of Akeno and can confirm that everything in the file Monokuma gave us is correct. I can also tell you that the 'scuffle' it talks about is a separate incident to Mitsuru's assault earlier."

The gang leader gave a guilty huff at the specialist's words, a dark look shadowing her face forebodingly.

I swallowed the bile in my throat before turning once again to Shirane. "But... I didn't a-"

"But you'll need to know." The hard look in the forensic scientist's eyes emphasized her words as she gestured to the miscellaneous pieces of stone around the body. "I have also identified the murder weapon, it was a brick. Unfortunately it seems to be broken so I won't be able to determine specifics such as size and weight as it has mixed with the other pieces of debris and has been contaminated by blood but it explains the shape of the wound."

 **Truth bullet added: Second assault**

 **Truth bullet added: Broken brick**

The loud beeps made me jump as my file updated in sync with Ane's, adding the strange 'truth bullet' notes to the morose information. Wandering around the body I noticed that blood was spattered on the wall, it was plastered at a height that was just over my own.

"The spatter is a the same height as our victim."

I glanced to the cold eyes of Mitsuru as she stared at the scene, detached and calculating. As a gang member there is no telling what she has seen, so it stands to reason that the sight didn't seem to faze her and that she could deduce such information.

"His head was crushed whilst he was still standing, so the assailant pushed him and hit him straight afterwards?"

The Sukeban looked at me, her icy eyes sharp. "Perhaps..."

 **Truth bullet added: Blood splatter height**

"Unlikely." Ane crouched by Akeno's body, pointing to his injuries. "From the looks of it he was pushed, his back collided with the wall and then he was fatally struck _before_ his head hit the wall behind him, we are talking about milliseconds between him hitting the wall and being hit. Although you can train to be extremely quick, I don't think anyone in our group would be capable of pushing him, lifting a weapon and then striking him in that amount of time; even Mr Quarta would have difficulty despite his skills."

"What if there was an accomplice?" The girls gave me a sharp look, gesturing to continue. "I mean... What if one person pushed him and the other hit him? It wouldn't be impossible for two people to plan to leave together..."

The two hummed in acknowledgement, thinking deeply over my suggestion. The possibility of a killing duo made my spine tingle and caused my heart to beat uncomfortably... It was just too surreal to accept that one of us, never mind two, could commit this act but the possibility was still there. The silence after my suggestion was thick and suffocating; unbearable for myself and my fellow ultimate students as a shiver passed through us. Even the mighty Mitsuru looked troubled as she wandered back to her previous position, leaving me alone with Ane.

We stood awkwardly for several minutes until Shirane returned to look at Akeno's skull. Her silence didn't last long as she whispered small thoughts aloud, as though she had forgotten we were here.

"...But that can't be right...They would've had to... Wait..."

Before I could break breath to the black haired scientist, she had grabbed me by my T-shirt and was dragging me to one of the entrances of the building Akeno lay beside.

"Wait Ane! Where are we going?!"

Without breaking step or looking my my way the forensic specialist barked an answer to that left me confused. "The roof."

* * *

Unlike the other buildings in the area, this one was accessible. We entered through a store front which was dark and dusty, with piles of debris and destroyed furniture littering the floor; stepping carefully around the obstacles, we found a rickety staircase in the back of the building. Following it up, we arrived upon the roof which gave us a good view of the surrounding area; as well as a bird's eye view of the scene below. On the surface of the room was debris similar to that found in the alley; broken bricks, plaster, concrete and other materials that I could partially recognise from my time working. As I looked at the floor, Shirane wondered to the edge of the flat surface, gazing at the short wall of bricks that surrounded the rim of the roof.

Bang!

I jumped at the sound, whipping around to the sound of swearing from below. "What the fuck Ane?!"

The dark haired girl looked at me with a bored expression. "I believe the question should be 'what were you doing Ane?' And to answer such a question, I was testing a hypothesis."

She pointed to the wall where there were loose bricks around the base of the wall, a brand new hole beside her foot.

"So you punted the wall?"

"No, I nudged it; the bricks are extremely loose; the deterioration is extreme as though this hasn't been maintained in years... You wouldn't even need to kick one to push it off the roof... Plus from what I can see there wasn't anyone up here before us..."

My brow furrowed. "But that can't be... That doesn't make any sense..."

 **Truth bullet added: Rooftop/Loose Bricks/No evidence of killer's presence**

We made our way down from our perch quietly, our thoughts heavy with confusion.

"Well this is when we should part ways."

My gaze snapped to Ane. "What do you mean?"

The young woman chuckled knowingly giving me a smug look. "You have found what you can of the crime scene. You should talk to your fellow witnesses, get statements. I would also recommend that you ask the others where they were during the time of the murder and search the town encase of anything useful."

My brow furrowed once more; my overwhelmed brain pounding as it tried to process all the information I had learned and the suggestions that Ane had offered me.

My gaze darkened as an air of determination settled upon me. "Right... In that case, where were you between five thirty and six o'clock?"

The forensic specialist laughed at my serious question. "Right to it, it seems. Well Miss Archer I had finished attending to Mr Kayano by then and had been travelling back in the direction of the apartments accompanied by Mr Tohru Yasumori. We were seen together Miss Fiona Kimsay as we exited the cafe long after the victim had left. She should be able to verify my claim as well as Mr Yasumori. I'm sure that account should suffice."

I nodded quietly, mentally noting her story so that I could cross-reference it later.

 **Truth bullet added: Shirane's Alibi**

Before I could speak the sound of retching echoed from the other end of the alley, where Azusa had finally awoken to the sight that had caused her fainting spell. Without so much as a breath in my direction, the transwoman gave me a sharp grin and gestured in my friend's direction before heading from the crime scene.

"Perhaps you should attend to your friend Miss Saiki."

Before she disappeared from the area I called to the girl, my chest tight with doubt. "Ane wait! How can I even trust what you said?! What if you are just covering for yourself?!"

Stopping stiffly, Miss Ogihara looked at me darkly, her icy eyes sharp and cold with determination. "You can't Ash, it's up to you what you choose to believe. I have one thing to say however; I don't plan on dying here Miss Saiki, take that how you will... But know that common purpose creates strong bonds and in this case neither of us is willing to perish."

Having said her fill, the black haired girl walked off without another word, leaving me heavy with guilt for questioning her.

* * *

Breathing deeply and regretting the action, I turned back to the last of my companions in the small space. Takeo paced in agitation, unable to lay eyes on the corpse whilst Mitsuru seemed to have went into a form of unstable mediation, a curse breaking her silence every so often as she attempted to keep her eyes clenched shut. At the other end my three friends huddled into each other; the two shell shocked boys trying to support and calm the shaken author, as she trembled and heaved nothing but air. My body felt heavy with the knowledge of what I must do as I strode over to the huddle, gently setting a hand on the shoulder of our eyewitness; Sarau.

The drag queen jumped at the contact, true fear blanching his cheeks and widening his once bright eyes as his face whirled towards me. I jerked my hand back as though touching his shoulder had burnt me, his fear sending a shock into my heart.

"Sorry Sarau, but... But we need to talk."

The young man's eyes began to well up with hot tears, trauma clear in his irises; the once clear blue now tinged with pink and the secrets of his fear. "I know... 's just so.. so."

I shook my head comfortingly. "Its okay, take your time... Here, let me help you up."

Offering my hand to the broken soul, I gently pulled him up, curling my arm around his shaking shoulders as I guided him to a corner away from the others hearing range. The brunette boy ran his shaking hand through his short locks, his once pristine black shirt ruffled and creased, the end clenched in his fist tightly as though letting go would destroy his already damaged sanity.

I sighed heavily, squeezing Sarau's shoulder to try and impart some comfort. "I'm sorry but you will have to tell me what happened... What did you see?"

The sensitive witness gave a shudder that seemed to echo throughout his being, racking him to his very core. Turning to me with dark haunted eyes that sent me reeling he spoke barely above a whisper as though his words could reawaken the images in his brain. "I saw the breath leave him... I saw him die Ash... I saw his body give up..."

Raising his hands as though they weren't his own, I watched as his shaking got worse until his legs could no longer support him. I reached out to catch the drag queen, cradling him against me as we lowered to our knees, leaning Sarau on the wall. "H-he, he was leaning on the wall... I saw as he slid down, as though gravity had claimed him..."

I rubbed his back. "Was there anyone else? Did he say anything?"

Sarau continued to shake, tossing his head negatively. "N. there 't anyone, no, no one... I-I think.. I dunno! I can't remember! Oh god!"

Tightening my grip I could feel the heat on my shoulder heat up as tears stained my shirt. "No Sarau, its okay don't hurt yourself."

The boy pushed me back with surprising strength, holding me back with shocked eyes and curled fingers digging into my shoulders. "No! Wait Ashida! I didn't SEE anyone but I did hear footsteps...! Yes! They went the opposite direction to me Akeno-"

The blue eyed boy suddenly jerked forward as though pained by his own revelations. "Sarau-?!"

He shook his head, locking our gazes again, a sorrowful desperation in his cobalt eye. "I.I.I'm okay Ash... But Ak-" He grit his teeth as through fighting some unknown force, before forcing his voice. " victim, he said 'Mr', I swear... He said it as though he wanted to communicate... I.I don't know if he saw me if it was for his killer, I heard him..."

Taking his shoulders once more I pulled my friend to me, embracing him tightly as he broke out into tears. "It's okay hun, thank you."

He sobbed weakly against me, clutching onto me as though I was his rock in the waves of anguish.

 **-Truth bullet added: Sarau's account/Killer's gender**

Like he had before, I gently pushed Sarau away and looked into his reddened eyes, an apologetic smile on my lips. "I'm sorry hun, I need to ask... Where were you before all this?"

The boy reached up to brush the fat tears, that still escaped his eyes, from his cheeks; hiccuping as he tried to steady his breathing, a tired sigh rolling from his chest. "...It sounds bad but... After the fight... I went off on my own... I needed away, I needed to breath. I went to the town edge but... I was completely on my own."

His face screwed up in fear, his large eyes imploring me as I gazed at him. "I didn't hurt him Ash, I swear... He was brash and lacked tact but I wouldn't hurt him... I wouldn't hurt anyone."

Hugging the drag queen to me again, I rubbed his back soothingly. "I believe you Sarau, I promise."

But even as the words rolled from my tongue a small voice began to mumble in my mind. _Are you so sure?..._

 **-Truth bullet added: Sarau's alibi (?)  
**

* * *

Leaving Sarau to recover I looked to Tohru and Azu, seeing that the latter was now settled calmly, if just shaken.

Pacing towards them, my eyes met Tohru's; purple-blue locking with green. Understanding filled his weary eyes as he rose to his feet, meeting me halfway. I looked down to the lucky student, questions in my eyes; a sentiment mirrored by his own.

"You have questions Ash?"

I nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I just need you to confirm something for me... Where were you before you came here?"

The blue haired man sighed and began to play with the soft curls, taking comfort from the locks. "I was with Shirane, we were walking together after treating Akeno. We were just talking when we head the bells and ran over."

I grunted in acknowledgement. "Okay... Did you see anyone else, whilst you were walking?"

The boy tilted his head in confusion but nodded. "Yeah, I saw Fiona just before we left the café, she left as we did, but she went towards the arcade while we went towards the town hall."

 **-Truth bullet added: Tohru's** **Testimony**

 **-Truth bullet added:** **Tohru/Shirane alibi  
**

Humming in thought I nodded in thought. "Okay... Lastly... How is Azu...?"

The smaller student sighed, glancing back to the shaken girl. "She is stable... But I don't think she's well enough to talk at the moment... Just give her time."

With a heavy sigh, I gave Tohru a thankful grimace. "Okay thanks Tohru... Just keep an eye okay?"

He nodded affirmatively, reaching out to squeeze my hand, a silent promise between us.

* * *

Having thanked Tohru, who had returned to Azusa, I became lost in my own mind; reaching for a sense of logic as my consciousness spun with all the info I had gathered. Trying to focus my thoughts I took stock of what I knew to be true. _I was with Azu when the murder happened... We saw Takeo just before we came upon it, so we all have alibi's... So none of us were involved... I think..._

Stroking firm circles into my temples I turned towards Takeo and Mitsuru. _I just need to confirm..._

Approaching the voluntary guards, I tentatively glanced between them, unsure of who to talk to first. Take was the first to catch my eye, looking to me with muddy eyes, red ringed with stress and distrust; hands clenching and stretching in anticipation. My instinct automatically swapped to caution at his gaze, aggressive judgement that seemed to deem me a threat. Taking cautious steps, I nodded to him.

"Takeo."

As though sensing my hesitation the fisherman crossed his arms defensively, puffing up his chest in challenge. "Ashida. What do you want?"

"I just want to ask you a question."

The dark haired athlete huffed at me, jerking his gaze from mine. "Out with it then."

Crossing my arms uncomfortably, I held fast, strengthening my jaw in defiance. "Where were you after you came to the girls' apartments and before we found the body?"

Anger spiked through his brown irises at my question as though I had gravely insulted him. "I went straight back to the guys', Takuya saw me when I got there, then I heard the bells... He ran off in this direction and I followed."

 **-Truth bullet added:** **Takeo's alibi**

I nodded at his words, quietly whispering my thanks before turning away. Before I could take a step an iron grip, like that of a vice, clamped itself to my forearm, holding me in place. Twisting with a gasp of agony, I saw the venomous eyes of Takeo, distrust blazing in his gaze.

"And you Ash?"

My eyes watered slightly as he tightened his grip, hissing against my teeth. "I was with Azu, we were going for food. Now let go of my arm!"

The stronger student's eyes widened in shock as he unhanded me, eyes locked on my injured arm at the bandages wrapped there. A perfect red imprint of a hand seeping through the cloth.

"Oh fuck! Ash I'm so-!"

I rose my hand to cut him off, gesturing to the aforementioned romance writer. "Check my story out Takeo."

With that I turned away and towards the only other figure in the alley, the guilt in the young man's eyes hurting my heart as the heaviness of betrayal slithered into my gut.

* * *

The ice of Mitsuru's eyes gazed straight through me, the protective aggression of my acquaintance like a hot poker in Take's direction. Shaking my head subtly, I took a spot against the wall by the taller girl, gently cradling my arm unconsciously. With a gentleness that shocked me, the Sukeban took my arm, looking it over and fixing the bandages before removing her tie and gently wrapping it over the top to keep the blood from escaping.

Investigating the new edition, I sent Mitsuru a grateful look which she returned with a nod. Taking a deep breath, I swallowed my fear, my voice small. "I need to ask Mitsuru... But wher-"

The pink haired woman held up her hand, cutting me swiftly off. "I understand Ash and I was with Yuko and Rin... They were helping me calm down from earlier, we had gone to the arcade so that I could let out some steam... Then this- Fuck." Wiping a hand down her face, I could see the young woman cringe with stress. "This doesn't look good for me Ash... Alibi and all... I have the most cause, shit."

I set a supportive hand on the gang leader's shoulder, squeezing gently as she removed her glasses to rub her eyes. "If your alibi is solid you will be fine Mitsuru, I know it."

With unconvinced eyes of stunning electric blue, the girl cackled humorously. "You don't get it Ash, someone will pick my words apart, mark my words.

My heart became heavy at Mitsuru's statement, she punctuated it with a dejected roll of the shoulders; shrugging my hand from her being before walking away. Leaving me with my thoughts and heavy being.

 **-Truth bullet added:** **Mitsuru's alibi**

* * *

Glancing to my handbook sadly I took note of all the new pieces; my body exhausted with the knowledge that I had so much more to find. Pulling myself from my trance, I stumbled from the scene, drunkenly finding myself back at the café. I stared towards the hideous statue that loomed in the epicentre of Mount Hope, my eyes filling with scorching tears and my gut with burning anger; my entire being bathed in the fire of fury.

"Monokuma, you twisted motherfucker..."

"Now now, is that language really needed? After all I groomed myself this morning!"

I snapped towards the voice, spiting venomously at the bear. " _Mr Major._.."

The plush robot cackled at my tone, plodding over to stand by my side. "That's me! As is that glorious stack of bronze upupupupuupu~"

I huffed and shuffled slightly from the automated bear, in fear of my rising temper. My hands trembling with the temptation to strangle the robotic mastermind.

"Now Miss Saiki, you really should be finding clues rather than gazing so fondly at my wonderful statue!"

Growling bitterly, I clenched my teeth together. "Sorry, but I can't help but image what would happen if I strapped C4 to it."

Before I could retaliate the bear, kicked me to my knees; grasping my hair and threateningly pressing his claws to the soft skin of my throat. "Now, now Ashida... You better watch your words or else I will take it as an attack against myself."

Spitting defiantly at the Major's feet, I glared at him. "Fuck you... I will stop you, I don't know why you are doing this... But I will save the others."

The monochrome being's eyes squinted at me, glowing demonic red. "And who will save you my dear?"

We stared at each other with a hatred so thick it filled the silence, choking any words I could possibly utter. The silence lasted so long that the grin on the plush widened evilly, as though I had answered his loaded question.

Monokuma chuckled darkly, letting me go so I collapsed onto my hands. "Well my dear... We shall see shan't we?"

And with that my aggressor was gone, leaving me clutching the cobble beneath me in frustration.

 _I'll save them... Even if I have to die trying..._

* * *

 _A/N- So our victim has been revealed and the first half of the investigation has been conducted, I know its not really fair to choose someone we haven't really attached ourselves to but there are reasons for this~! Sooooo any ideas as to who our murderer might be? As I said before the one who guesses correctly might just get a prize ;)_

 _As always remember to review! And I will see you guys in the next one! :D_

 ** _Evidence summery_**

 **Name of victim: Akeno Kayano**

 **Talent: Salesman**

 **Time of death: Approximately 5:45pm**

 **Cause of death: Blunt force trauma to the back of the head.**

 **Details:** ** **The victim died instantly. Minor injuries also present.  
****

 _Truth Bullets_

-Truth bullet added: Second assault

-Truth bullet added: Broken brick

-Truth bullet added: Blood splatter height

-Truth bullet added: Rooftop/Loose Bricks/No evidence of killer's presence

-Truth bullet added: Shirane's testimony

-Truth bullet added: Sarau's account

-Truth bullet added: Sarau's alibi (?)

-Truth bullet added: Tohru's Testimony

-Truth bullet added: Tohru/Shirane alibi

-Truth bullet added: Takeo's alibi

-Truth bullet added: Mitsuru's alibi


End file.
